Occupying a public charging station indefinitely without charging will be punished. Drivers who fail to respect charging station etiquette risk a hefty bill. The measure is already being implemented in Antwerp; Ghent and Brussels are following.

After Antwerp introduced the so-called ‘rotation tariff’, Ghent and Brussels are also adopting the measure to deter users who leave their cars standing even when they are fully charged.

Highway Code

The Highway Code does not explicitly state that you have to move the car once it is charged, but leaving it is not very courteous to other users. Although more charging infrastructure has been added recently, it has sometimes become even harder to find an available station.

The share of electric cars in the vehicle fleet will increase year after year, as more second-hand electric cars come onto the market. Across Belgium, the number of fully electric cars on our roads increased by 55 percent in just one year, to 395,188 units in 2025.

‘Rotation’ fee

Since an occupied charging station doesn’t generate any revenue, more and more providers – both commercial operators and cities that grant concessions – are introducing a ‘blocking’ or ‘rotation’ fee to stimulate rotation. This is a fixed fine for anyone who unnecessarily occupies a charging spot.

Charging station occupancy is a problem, especially at free parking stations. The temptation to stay in the same spot is strong. Figures show that it is a real problem.

Antisocial phenomenon

In Ghent, plugged-in cars were found to actually charge an average of only 45 percent of the time. The remaining 55 percent – an average of four hours – they were simply parked there. 

In Brussels, the situation is sometimes even more extreme: a battery is usually charged after 2 hours and 20 minutes, while cars easily keep the station occupied for 6.5 hours. A pretty antisocial phenomenon.

Necessary measure

Public charging points are even more crucial in Brussels than elsewhere in the country. The potential for private charging stations is much smaller in the city, for example, due to the lack of a private garage or driveway.

The rotation tariff has been in place in Antwerp for about three months now, and the City of Ghent will also introduce it on February 1st. Apparently, it is the only way to keep the infrastructure profitable and available. In Antwerp and Ghent, the blocking rate is 6 cents per minute, and the counter starts running 30 minutes after the charging session.

‘Charging fine’

Whether the driver or the employer pays the ‘charging fine’ depends on the employer’s car policy. For Ayvens, the largest leasing company in Belgium, it is already clear: the rotation fine will be passed on.

The reasoning? Just like a traffic fine, it’s an avoidable cost resulting from the driver’s own ‘irresponsible’ charging behavior. To be clear: the ‘charging fine’ only applies to public charging points; it does not apply to charging points at business sites or supermarkets.