September 01, 2023
On Thursday, the British e-scooter manufacturer Lavoie, backed by Formula 1 supplier McLaren Applied, announced that it will acquire the recently bankrupt VanMoof e-bike business. Lavoie intends to combine and integrate their capabilities “to create a next-generation e-mobility business and establish a world-leading premium e-mobility offering”. The move is part of Lavoie’s global growth strategy […]
September 01, 2023
Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) is to amend the existing breath test procedure. The possibility of requesting a 15-minute waiting period will be abolished, and the minimum volume of exhaled air will be reduced. Gilkinet has submitted the faster and more efficient measure to the regions and hopes it can come into effect by the […]
August 31, 2023
In Paris, one of 15 000 shared e-scooters can be ridden for the last time today. From September 1st, they will be banned from the French capital, a result of the outcome of a binding referendum held in April. The rental e-scooters were said to cause too much chaos on pavements and unsafe traffic situations. […]
August 30, 2023
Brussels public transport operator MIVB/STIB has officially declared tram line 18 open. The tram line has Albert station in Forest as its terminus. That station should become a multimodal hub for Brussels public transport. By 2030, three tram lines should converge there, as should the future metro line 3. Albert station, located next to Forest […]
August 30, 2023
Next summer, Ghent wants to organize Velo-city, a significant cycling festival and congress. The city council has set aside 180 000 euros for it. The highlight should be a bike ride with 2 000 participants. From 18 to 21 June 2024, Ghent will briefly be the epicenter of international cycling. The major cycling conference Velo-city […]
August 29, 2023
As earlier announced, London is expanding its environmental zone. Almost all of London will become an ultra-low-emission zone (ULEZ) as of today. The measure is intended to tackle pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the air quality for residents and visitors. But not everybody is happy with the new ultra-low-emission zone because it will […]
August 28, 2023
The number of road deaths in Belgium decreased by 21% in the first six months of the year compared to last year. Last year, 287 people died in traffic on Belgian roads, this year ‘only’ 227. Yet an average of nine people still die on Belgian roads every week, which remains far too many. The […]
August 28, 2023
A major police operation occurred Saturday in and around Brussels South railway station. Some 60 people were arrested, most of whom were migrants without legal residence. The action came after complaints in recent weeks about nuisance and insecurity and a cry for help from national railway company NMBS/SNCB and the Brussels Capital Region. As a […]
August 25, 2023
The Walloon government has adopted a decree to regulate fleets of shared bicycles and e-scooters in cities and to ensure more sustainable management. The text provides for the Region to grant licenses only to operators who meet various technical requirements, such as vehicle characteristics, but also the sustainability of fleet management. The Walloon municipalities will […]
August 25, 2023
Staff shortages continue to trouble the Flemish public transport company De Lijn. From 1 September, it will temporarily and structurally cancel certain rides across Flanders due to staff shortages. According to De Lijn, around 0,75% of all journeys are affected. The Flemish transport company stressed that bus lines and school rides will be safeguarded. “The […]
August 24, 2023
Frank Energie, a new Dutch energy supplier, wants to conquer Belgium after the Netherlands, with dynamic hourly prices to allow EV owners to charge at home when prices are at their lowest, for instance. CEO Hans van der Woude does not hide his ambitions: After further growth in Belgium, Spain, and France, the start-up wants […]
August 23, 2023
Renault developed the Plug Inn app to bring electric car users from any brand together in the hope of a better and easier charging solution. The app allows users to open up their smart private charge point at home to other users and monetize it. This community-based app is available in France. In Belgium, there’s […]
August 23, 2023
Belgian public transport companies continue to struggle to find drivers. MIVB/STIB, NMBS/SNCB, De Lijn, and Walloon counterpart TEC are all struggling to find drivers for their trams, trains, and buses due to stiff competition, with the transport sector also facing driver shortages. The big fear here, of course, remains that the supply quality will come […]
August 22, 2023
For the time being, Dutch insurer ANWB will stop ensuring fat bikes, electrically powered bicycles with thicker tires. The insurer says it is doing so because of the “extremely high” number of stolen fat bikes. The financial damage recovered from insurance has now risen to 800% of the premium, says ANWB. “This is not bearable […]
August 21, 2023
Since local authorities in London decided to expand the ultra-low-emission zone (ULEZ) to improve the air quality, 387 ULEZ cameras have been destroyed, obscured, or stolen between April and mid-August. The majority was vandalized in outer London, where the zone was expanded. A shadowy group called the ‘Blade Runners’ is believed to be responsible for […]
August 21, 2023
Sophie Dutordoir, CEO of Belgian railways NLBS/SNCB, has asked local, regional, and federal authorities to help tackle the growing safety and cleanliness problems at Brussels South Station, with around 60 000 daily travelers, one of Belgium’s busiest train stations. The mix of many travelers, tourists, drug addicts, more asylum seekers, as well as empty buildings […]
August 17, 2023
27% fewer cars in the Brussels Pentagon and also 36% more cyclists: these are the striking figures the City of Brussels can present after exactly one year of Good Move, the Regional Mobility and Circulation Plan for the Brussels Capital Region. “Brussels is thus becoming an even nicer place to be,” says a satisfied Bart […]
August 16, 2023
On Wednesday, the renovation works on the viaduct in Vilvoorde started. The restoration will take eight years, as announced in March, and the heaviest traffic disruption is expected between 2027 and 2031. The cost is estimated at over 500 million euros. The Viaduct Zeekanaal Brussel-Schelde, as the bridge is officially called, is one of the […]
August 16, 2023
At the end of 2024, 32 instead of 16 intercity trains will run daily between Brussels and the Netherlands. Dutch railway company NS and its Belgian counterpart NMBS/SNCB report this. New, faster trains, with a maximum speed of 200 kph, will be used. They’ll stop less often, making the journey between Brussels and Amsterdam in […]
August 15, 2023
The city of Amsterdam has had enough of noisy cars and motorbikes and is taking measures to fight the noise nuisance. The city will introduce an experiment and install noise displays in particular spots in the city center. Later this month, sound meters and noise speed cameras will be added, and finally, noisemakers will be […]
August 14, 2023
More than four out of ten Dutch citizens think their country has to eliminate the idea that everyone has to own a car. Energy provider Zonneplan did a panel survey of 2002 Dutch inhabitants about their views on car possession. The most popular argument against car possession is the high environmental impact of the car […]
August 11, 2023
Robotaxi companies Waymo and Cruise can deploy paid taxi rides in San Francisco every day of the week, night and day. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) made the decision after a seven-hour public hearing. For autonomous driving companies, the approval is a capital step forward. Driverless robotaxis were already allowed in San Francisco for […]
August 11, 2023
Dutch Railways NS continues to struggle to win back passengers. Passenger numbers are still well below pre-corona levels, making NS loss-making again in the first half of the year. Whether NS will win back passengers in the coming years and sell enough tickets to cover all operation costs remains to be seen. For instance, the […]
August 11, 2023
The Belgian Rail’s discount card for large families will disappear permanently in 2025. That is why the Gezinsbond, a non-profit organization that defends the interests of families, launches a new proposal allowing parents to take their children on the train for free as long as they live at home. After all, the train is an […]
August 10, 2023
Dutch fast-charging company Fastned is tempting EV drivers heading on vacation to the South of France with free ice cream at its Belgian Ardennes station at Baraque de Fraiture in Vielsalm. Be there between 12 to 4 p.m. on ‘Red Saturday’ August 12th, to lick the free sweets. The Fastnet charging station is located at […]
August 10, 2023
Belgium has had 19 938 accidents with injuries or fatalities over the past ten years due to failure to observe safe following distances. Two hundred nineteen people were killed in these accidents, and 31 502 others were injured. In Wallonia alone, as many as 4 122 accidents in such circumstances have occurred in ten years, […]
August 08, 2023
In July, prices of second-hand cars in Europe fell slightly. According to the Auto1 Group Price Index, the European report on used car prices, the prices in July 2023 were 13,6% lower than in July 2022 but still 25,6% higher than before the corona pandemic in July 2019. One year ago, In July 2022, the […]
August 07, 2023
The listed company D’Ieteren, which is best known for importing and distributing cars of the Volkswagen Group and Carglass, is further expanding its bike chain, Lucien. Having already opened Lucien shops in Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent, it is now also setting its eyes on Wallonia. It plans to open its first shop in the heart of […]
August 07, 2023
The rate for passing a theory exam for the motorbike (A) and car (B) driving license in the Brussels Capital Region remains below 50%. That is according to figures for 2022 from Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) and published by the SudPresse newspapers. The results are almost identical to the previous year. […]
August 04, 2023
Europe’s leading airline group Lufthansa more than tripled its net profit in the second quarter and expects to post one of the best annual results in its history. Subsidiary Brussels Airlines carried 3,95 million passengers in the first half, making its Q2 a good one, with a profit of 31 million euros. Three years after […]
August 04, 2023
One out of ten people killed on the highway in Belgium are pedestrians. More than half (54%) of fatal accidents on highways occur in the surroundings of slip roads. And most fatal accidents (one in three) happen in the dark. The figures come from a recent study by the traffic safety institute Vias. Vias analyzed […]
August 04, 2023
The Flemish VAB Mobility Club is also one of Belgium’s largest road assistance providers. While it integrates BEVs in its rolling infrastructure, the road assistants see themselves confronted with more breakdowns on BEVs than the average with vehicles with internal combustion engines. The reasons, however, are not what people would normally expect with electric vehicles, […]
August 03, 2023
Registrations of new cars increased over the last 12 consecutive months, but the second-hand car market is also doing well in Belgium, says mobility federation Traxio. After several strong months, the used car market grew in July, with no less than 16,6% to 57 594 units. Cumulated over the first seven months, the increase is […]
August 02, 2023
In May of this year, vehicle lease company ALD Automotive announced that it had successfully acquired 100% of LeasePlan, one of the world’s leading fleet management and mobility companies. More than enough reasons for us to talk with Johan Portier, the new Country Managing Director of ALD Automotive/LeasePlan in Belgium. This transformative acquisition represented a […]
August 02, 2023
Last year, 85 844 tons of used tires were collected in Belgium. This is according to the non-profit organization Recytyre, the Belgian organization responsible for collecting and recycling tires. More than 99,8% of tire waste was recovered, mainly in the form of pellets. This percentage exceeds the minimum target of 85% for material recovery. Flanders […]
August 01, 2023
According to figures from the Belgian mobility federation Febiac, registrations of new motorbikes, scooters, tricycles, and light quadricycles increased by 3% during the first six months of this year compared to last year. The second-hand market, on the other hand, has plummeted by 27%, due to the technical inspection requirement. After two years of slight […]
August 01, 2023
The American company micromobility.com, a global pioneer in sustainable transportation as it claims, is preparing the take-over of the recently declared bankrupt Amsterdam e-bike manufacturer VanMoof. The company has already made a so-called ‘non-binding’ offer that would have been positively received. The news was announced on the company’s website, but financial details were not disclosed. […]
August 01, 2023
Estonian mobility company Bolt wants to make Brussels more inclusive, so under the banner ‘Bolt for All,’ they want to make their e-scooters and e-bikes more accessible to everyone. From now on, all students, job seekers, and people dependent on one of the 19 Brussels Social Services who receive a living wage or its equivalent […]
July 31, 2023
Britain’s Mobico, the former public transport company National Express, is talking with other companies to launch an HST connection between London and Paris via the Channel Tunnel. Evolyn, as Eurostar’s competitor would be called, could start in 2025. According to The Financial Times, the newspaper picked up the scoop, the Spanish Cosmen family, a shareholder […]
July 28, 2023
The French platform for refurbished e-bikes, Upway, offers owners of a VanMoof bicycle to repair it. The company used to partner with the now-bankrupt VanMoof, so Upway’s mechanics know how to repair the bikes. Earlier this month, the court had declared the Dutch bicycle manufacturer VanMoof bankrupt. The company was founded in 2009 by Taco […]
July 25, 2023
Stellantis, the French-Italian-American automotive manufacturing corporation, and Samsung SDI, the Korean battery and electronic materials manufacturer, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a second battery factory in the US. The plant should start production in 2027 with an initial annual production capacity of 34-gigawatt hours (GWh). Last year, in May 2022, both partners […]
July 21, 2023
Traveling by train in Europe is, on average, twice as expensive as flying. On some routes, trains are even 30 times more costly than planes. This is according to an analysis by Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe. The organization argues that European railways are disadvantaged by unfair taxes in favor of airlines, to the detriment […]
July 20, 2023
Estonian mobility company Bolt introduced its new e-scooter, Bolt 6. The plan is to gradually roll out the new model, with better handling and a pimped-up design, in Brussels and the other cities where Bolt operates. According to the company, the new two-wheeled means of transport sets a new standard for safety and sustainability. Two […]
July 19, 2023
Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB and French railway company SNCF Voyageurs have plans to set up a new rail link between Brussels and Paris. The plan is to run back and forth between Brussels South and Paris North several times daily, using conventional trains. It is, therefore, not a high-speed connection. The journey should take […]
July 18, 2023
The Flemish government has approved the reinspection of cars by certified garage owners in principle. Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) launched the idea because the official inspection centers cannot tackle the bottlenecks, and there is a need for additional capacity. “The technical inspection remains important from a road safety point of view, but […]
July 17, 2023
Federal Mobility Minister Georges Gilkinet (Ecolo) wants a total ban on night flights from 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. for Zaventem airport. As expected, many political parties, concerned companies, and interest groups reacted sharply and negatively to Gilkinet’s striking proposal to do away with the 16 000-night flights that currently take off from Brussels Airport. […]
July 17, 2023
Last Sunday, Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters (Open Vld) kicked off a new courtesy and safety campaign for users of the many towpaths in Flanders. The campaign calls for courtesy, safe behavior, and respect for the maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour on the more than 2 000 towpaths and dyke roads. Speed pedelecs, […]
July 14, 2023
Shared e-scooters will henceforth be welcome in Brussels only if they do not impede other traffic users. The Brussels government has, therefore, approved the decision that tightens the rules for users and operators of e-scooters and other shared vehicles in the micro-mobility category. The decision will come into force this summer, but the changeover to […]
July 14, 2023
The Dutch manufacturer of e-design bicycles, VanMoof, is on the verge of bankruptcy. The financial problems are so dramatic that the company can no longer pay its bills. Instead of making a billion people addicted to cycling, the company succumbs to a loss of millions. On Wednesday, VanMoof was granted a two-month payment postponement by […]
July 12, 2023
The European Parliament took a final decision on Tuesday: from 2026, the main European highways must be equipped with fast-charging stations for electric vehicles every 60 kilometers. From 2028, this should apply to half of the European road network. Those charging stations must have a capacity of at least 400 kW and be able to […]
July 11, 2023
A 27-kilometer stretch of bicycle highway between Herentals and Balen is ready for use in the province of Antwerp. The stretch forms part of bicycle highway F105 Herentals-Leopoldsburg to Limburg. The province of Antwerp invested more than 30 million euros in it. The section between Herentals and Balen includes two new bicycle tunnels and nine […]
July 10, 2023
Flanders has more than 25 000 charging stations for electric vehicles and is, therefore, on track to achieve the objectives of the ‘Clean Power for Transport’ agreement: to have 35 000 public and semi-public charging points along the highways and important traffic axes by 2025 The Flemish government wants to increase the number of charging […]
July 07, 2023
French railway company SNCF plans to earmark 1 000 hectares of solar panels by 2030 to cover 15 to 20% of its own electricity needs. The plans would make the railway company one of France’s largest green power producers. The SNCF is making this switch to secure supplies and control costs (between 2022 and 2023, […]
July 06, 2023
A survey by the Walloon Road Safety Agency (AWSR) shows that one Walloon driver in two drinks alcohol even if he has to drive afterward. One in four respondents recently drove potentially above the legal alcohol limit of 0,5 grams per liter of blood. To do something about the problem, the ASWR will be distributing […]
July 06, 2023
Nissan has launched in the United Kingdom a flexible subscription service featuring a simple all-in-one monthly payment for its EVs, Leaf, and Ariya, and the hybrid Qashqai e-POWER, with 800 miles (1 287 km) per month included. But it doesn’t always come as a bargain. Prices start as ‘low’ as £645/mth (€755) for the Leaf […]
July 06, 2023
Car sector federation Traxio has been studying the latest registrations (first six months of 2023) of new and second-hand cars in Belgium and concludes there’s a real (double) schism in the market between B2B and B2C and between regions. 65% of all new cars have been registered as B2B company cars (companies, leasing, VAT liable), […]
July 06, 2023
The new bicycle highway – F24 – between Louvain and Boutersem was officially inaugurated on Wednesday. Plans and preparations for the project were launched eleven years ago, and now the bicycle connection is finally ready. The new section is 4,5 km long, and 4 meters wide, and follows railway line 36 between Louvain and Tirlemont. […]
July 05, 2023
Vilvoorde’s city council is giving negative advice to the plans to redevelop the Brussels Ring Road. Mayor Hans Bonte (Vooruit) is unhappy about the heavy mobility and environmental impact of the works on the city and the region. Several ecological and mobility organizations also side against the plans of the Flemish government. At the end […]
July 05, 2023
While registrations of new vehicles (51 760 units) almost doubled in June (+48,7%), the second-hand market started to regenerate by growing 15,8% in June to 67 528 units. Cumulated over the first six months, the increase is 5,8% (18 999 units more than in the first six months of 2022), but there is a backlog […]
July 05, 2023
Italian carmaker Fiat is back in the B-segment with a new electric SUV. Sister of the 500e, the new 600e is based on the same Stellantis CMP electric platform as the Jeep Avenger. The Italian boasts similar performances with a WLTP range of 409 km thanks to a 54-kWh battery. The Fiat is also cheaper, […]
