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, […]
July 04, 2023
An old Belgian icon, the 127-year-old Royal Touring Club of Belgium, has finally been sold to insurance company AG (75%) and Belgian’s biggest bank company BNP Paribas Fortis (25%). It allows Touring to continue road assistance and other activities in a world where mobility is evolving rapidly. After the authorities’ investigation, the deal was officially […]
July 04, 2023
The Meiser Square in Schaerbeek, a major traffic junction in the neighborhood where public broadcasters VRT and RTBF offices are, will be redesigned completely. Brussels Mobility has applied for a permit. The large roundabout is to make way for two intersections and more green space. The Region hopes to start construction works by 2025. Specifically, […]
July 03, 2023
BMW has joined forces with long-established Italian bicycle manufacturer 3T to create three types of bikes for various use cases. Customers can choose from a gravel bike, road bike, or urban bike; each of which can also be ordered with an electric motor. All models offer a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology and progressive design. […]
July 03, 2023
Flemish public transport operator De Lijn started the phased roll-out of its primary accessibility network, Hoppin. The new De Lijn network means changes are taking place at 16 000 bus stops, with some 180 to be abolished and others to be relocated, frequencies changed, or new line numbers appearing. But not everyone applauds De Lijn’s […]
July 03, 2023
The number of accidents involving e-scooters has exploded in recent years. To gain insight into the exact causes, the Vias traffic safety institute analyzed a hundred e-scooter accidents with injured people in Brussels in 2020. Most occurred with users under the influence of alcohol and drugs, causing them to lose control. Vias pleads for the […]
June 30, 2023
The Belgian government has agreed with French energy giant Enigma on keeping the Doel 4 and Thihange 3 nuclear power plants open until 2035. Engie will also pay 15 billion euros for the future disposal and processing of all nuclear waste. But on the very day that the deal is knocked off, Elia, the transmission […]
June 30, 2023
Primary school ‘De Wieken’ in Kinrooi (Limburg, Belgium) wants to make the bicycle helmet compulsory next school year. The reason for it is a recent accident in which a 10-year-old boy suffered a severe brain injury. The boy, who did not wear a helmet, was hit by a car while crossing the road and landed […]
June 29, 2023
A bicycle tunnel under the Brussels Ring Road has been officially opened in Overijse. The tunnel branches off at the end of Welriekendedreef and connects to the cycle network through the Sonian Forest and, thus, also toward Brussels. Until now, there was a pedestrian tunnel at that spot. Cyclists had to carry their bicycles by […]
June 29, 2023
The new entrance/exit complex of the Brussels Ring Road at Woluwe Avenue in Machelen has been officially opened by the Agency for Roads and Traffic. This completes the second of four phases of the major redevelopment of Woluwe Avenue, part of a 64 million euros investment by the Flemish government with which it intends to […]
June 28, 2023
The Eurostar Group, the merger of high-speed train operators Thalys and Eurostar, transported 14,8 million passengers last year and posted a turnover of over 1,53 billion euros, two and a half times more than a year earlier. As a result, profit before Ebita reached a record level of 332 million euros. By mid-October, a new app, […]
June 28, 2023
The Flemish administration has issued a permit for a link road between the Brussels Ring Road and Parking C at Heysel, according to the business newspaper L’Echo. The link road is considered essential for NEO, the Heysel redevelopment project. However, according to the Flemish Environment Department, the link road has a purely logistical function and […]
June 28, 2023
The 14-brand-strong group, Stellantis, is launching a new ecosystem for electric vehicle charging under the umbrella of Free2Move Charge. The new entity will allow clients to install and finance home chargers, with options ranging from AC charging to Vehicle-2-grid (V2G) systems. Furthermore, it’ll give access to almost all of Europe’s charging points. The Stellantis group […]
June 27, 2023
Due to maintenance, nine Brussels tunnels will temporarily be closed during the summer holidays. To limit traffic disruption, work in four of the nine tunnels will be carried out only at night, reports Brussels Mobility. And in the country’s south, some major highway projects will also be carried out, which could immediately impact the traffic […]
June 27, 2023
Mobia, the overarching partnership between the car sector federations Febiac, Traxio, and Renta, warns of a shortage in public charging points in Belgium if we don’t have an additional 100 installed every day between now and 2030. As taxation rules on cars change in a few days and not only ICE cars but also plug-in […]
June 26, 2023
The Walloon government will allocate another 79 million euros to finalize works on the new Liège tramway. These have been seriously delayed, much to the annoyance of traders and residents. The amount comes on top of the 450 million euros initially planned. The modern 11,5 km tram line will connect Standard’s stadium to the Coronmeuse […]
June 26, 2023
According to Shell Recharge’s annual EV Driver Survey, Europe is at the tipping point of mass adoption of electric cars. Real-world experiences make EV drivers slowly swallow their range anxiety, the ones still seeing a problem dropping from 60 to 50%. 47% don’t feel the need to recharge daily, and there is no turning back […]
June 26, 2023
The Antwerp city council doubts the further tightening of the low-emission zone (LEZ) from 2028 onward. So write the Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Laatste Nieuws. A study on the impact of existing and future air quality measures should provide the answer. In Antwerp, diesel cars will normally no longer be allowed from 2031. From […]
June 23, 2023
Last year, the number of road fatalities in Flanders fell by 9%. However, the Flemish Region still had the most accidents (62%), compared to Brussels (11%), and Wallonia (27%). The figures come from Flanders Statistics (Statistiek Vlaanderen). Among the victims is a growing percentage of vulnerable road users, mainly cyclists. In addition, there are still […]
