2025 was, once again, the year of traffic jams. Never before had Flemish people spent more time stuck in traffic than last year. All vehicles together lost an average of almost 105,000 hours per day in traffic jams.
This marks the first time the 100,000-hour mark has been surpassed. The figures come from the Flemish Traffic Center (Vlaams VerkeersCentrum, VVC), which measures total congestion across the entire Flemish road network.
Belgium’s traffic problem is not just busy cities, but a structurally overloaded road network. Congestion is usually caused by high traffic volumes, frequent incidents, weather conditions, roadworks, and traffic management plans.
Rush hours
During the heaviest morning rush hour in Flanders last year, on February 11th, there were more than 330 kilometers of traffic jams. The heaviest evening rush hour was on April 30th, the eve of a sunny long weekend.
There were 230 kilometers of traffic jams. June last year was the worst month of traffic jams ever, with an average of 167 kilometers of traffic jams and around 21 accidents per day.
In January, February, June, and August, several records were broken. “But the worst traffic jam month ever is still November 2024,” says Peter Bruyninckx of the Flemish Traffic Center.
Increasing traffic jams
According to the mobility organization Touring, there are several explanations for the increasing number of traffic jams. More and more lanes are disappearing on main and connecting roads without being redesigned. Infrastructure interventions are not coordinated, and traffic lights are no longer synchronized.
Flemish Member of Parliament Bogdan Vanden Berghe (Green Party), therefore, pleads for investments in efficient public transport and the introduction of a smart kilometer charge. According to him, cuts to public transport company De Lijn and fare increases are further contributing to the congestion problem.
Heavier problem in Belgium
We see the same phenomenon in the Netherlands. Last year, motorists spent an average of 1.5 times longer on the road than planned. Roadworks and the NATO summit have made The Hague the traffic jam capital of the Netherlands.
Almere, on the other hand, has the highest average speed and the fewest delays. Amsterdam has the lowest average speed due to its narrow streets, canals, and 30 km zones.
Last year, the Dutch spent more time in traffic jams, especially during the evening rush hour. The morning rush hour has actually decreased slightly in most cities, as people postpone their commutes to avoid the crowds. But in the evening, the Dutch still want to get home at the same time.
Although Dutch cities face similar congestion levels on paper, Belgian drivers lose more time per trip and far more total hours, making Belgium’s traffic problem heavier in both absolute and practical terms.
