Drivers with foreign licence plates rarely pay fines in Brussels

November 13, 2025

In Brussels, foreign drivers who receive parking fines do not pay them in 90% of cases. This is according to figures from the office of outgoing Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen). According to BRUZZ, the Brussels-Capital Region is now investigating whether wheel clamps can be used to force non-payers to pay. The Region, which […]

Worries about Chinese Yutong buses’ remotely operated ‘kill switch’

November 12, 2025

Yutong, China’s biggest bus manufacturer, based in Zhengzhou, which has supplied electric buses to Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands, has built a remotely operated ‘kill switch’ into its vehicles. This mechanism gives the manufacturer digital access to systems for software updates and diagnostics. Still, in theory, it is also possible to disable or influence the […]

Tom Waes in new VRT campaign: ‘No excuses. Don’t drink and drive’

November 12, 2025

The Flemish national broadcasting company VRT is launching a remarkable traffic campaign to remind Flemish drivers that there are no excuses when it comes to driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. One of the key figures in the campaign is… television producer Tom Waes, who was involved in a traffic accident one year ago, […]

European airlines pledge to stop ‘greenwashing’

November 11, 2025

Twenty-one European airlines have committed to stop making claims in relation to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions deemed misleading, the European Commission said on Friday. The airlines include some of the largest in Europe, such as Lufthansa (parent company of Brussels Airlines), Ryanair, KLM, and Air France. In May, the Belgian Federal Public Service Economy’s economic inspectorate, […]

Jera Nex BP launches new hydrogen refueling station in Ostend

November 11, 2025

A new hydrogen filling station for ships was officially inaugurated in the port of Ostend on Friday. Jera Nex BP developed the hydrogen filling station, and in the initial phase, only one ship will use it: the Windcat 48, which uses green hydrogen to sail from the port of Ostend to a wind farm in the […]

Wave of thefts of Poppy shared cars in Brussels by minors

November 11, 2025

In Brussels, there has been a noticeable increase in thefts of Poppy shared and rental cars. Exact figures are not available, partly because some cars are recovered before they are reported stolen, and because attempts are often considered vandalism. What is striking, however, is that the thieves are often minors without a driver’s licence. They […]

Powering the circular economy on two wheels: Upway’s $60M boost

November 07, 2025

Upway, which claims to be the global market leader in refurbished e-bikes, has just raised $60 million in funding to give new life to 1 million e-bikes by 2030. This brings the total funding raised since its founding in 2021 to more than $125 million. The company’s business model is simple: Upway buys used e-bikes, refurbishes them […]

Europe wants to limit flying by expanding the high-speed rail network

November 07, 2025

The European Commission wants to accelerate the rollout of the high-speed rail network by 2040. By significantly reducing travel times between European capitals, rail is set to become a more attractive alternative to short-haul flights. The ambitious plan also includes a new high-speed connection between Lisbon and Paris via Madrid. This would allow train passengers […]

Renta: half of Belgium’s EVs are company leased, but private still lags

November 07, 2025

More than half of all electric cars on Belgian roads are leased or rented. According to new figures from the vehicle rental federation Renta, its members alone operate 195,990 fully electric cars, representing 51% of Belgium’s total EV fleet. The data highlight the crucial role of corporate leasing in driving the country’s vehicle electrification. Renta […]

Brussels ANPR cameras first to be linked to federal police network

November 06, 2025

The first Brussels ANPR cameras, initially intended for the low-emission zone (LEZ) and average speed checks, have been connected to the national police network. This involves 450 cameras. The integration allows all six Brussels police zones to access live data and footage in real time. Connecting the cameras to the brand-new national police platform ANPR@GPI […]

Brussels Villo! bike-sharing rentals down 40% as e-bikes surge

November 05, 2025

In March, the Mobility Committee of the Brussels Parliament already reached a consensus: Villo!, the public bike-sharing system, is underperforming and urgently needs to be replaced. A new report by the Brussels Institute for Statistics and Analysis (IBSA) now confirms this negative trend. Between 2018 and 2024, Villo! rented out no less than 40,2% fewer […]

Traxio: ‘Second-hand car market has an October dip’

November 05, 2025

The second-hand car market was quieter in October than last year, with a 2.8% decline to 65,351 units. In October 2024, 67,201 used cars were registered, 4,203 more than in October 2023. The used car market continues to perform well, with 621,316 used cars registered over the past 10 months, an increase of 0.5% compared […]

Net profit of €1.72 billion for Ryanair in second quarter

November 04, 2025

Ryanair posted a net profit of 1.72 billion euros in the second quarter of this fiscal year, an increase of 20% compared to the same period last year. The higher profit was due to more expensive ticket prices. The Irish low-cost airline also expects passenger numbers to grow faster than expected this year. Ryanair, Europe’s […]

Decade after Paris: catastrophic 4°C warming avoided, danger persists

November 03, 2025

Thanks to the Paris Climate Agreement, our planet is no longer heading toward a catastrophic 4 degrees of warming, but is still facing an additional 2.6 degrees Celsius. That is what climate specialists from the World Weather Attribution and Climate Central have calculated. Ten years ago, the Paris Climate Agreement was signed. World leaders pledged […]

Frustrated Cowboy customers struggle to find replacement parts

November 03, 2025

The financial problems of the trendy, stylish Brussels bicycle brand Cowboy may have been mainly resolved by its takeover by the French bicycle group Rebirth. Still, for owners of its e-bikes, these remain uncertain times that often lead to despair in the event of a breakdown. As it happens, you sometimes have to wait months […]

Subaru hints at electric rebirth for STI

October 31, 2025

Subaru has presented a vision of how its performance arm can be made future-proof. At the Japan Mobility Show, the automaker introduced the Performance-E STI Concept, a quite attractive electric hatchback that reimagines the brand’s storied STI badge. Don’t look for turbocharged boxer engines underneath this one. It’s been three years since Subaru dropped the […]

Virgin challenges Eurostar’s dominance with access to key St. Pancras station

October 31, 2025

Virgin Trains, the railway company owned by British businessman Richard Branson, has received permission from the British regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), to share a central rail depot in east London, where trains are maintained and parked, with Eurostar. With the application approved, Virgin Trains is removing a significant barrier to the […]

De Lijn remains a major sponsor of LEZs through fines

October 30, 2025

The Flemish public transport company De Lijn continues to rack up fines for violations of the low-emission zone (LEZ). In the first six months of this year, it has already paid almost 150,000 euros in fines, more than double the total spent in 2024. De Lijn will also have to pay LEZ fines next year. After […]

Flanders to scrap short-lived, unpopular second-hand motorcycle inspections

October 30, 2025

The mandatory technical inspection for second-hand motorcycles in Flanders will be abolished in mid-2026, barely three years after its introduction. Pretty unpopular among bike riders, it resulted in 21,000 fewer second-hand motorcycles sold in 2024. Motorcycles will no longer have to be inspected when sold or after an accident, and no periodic inspection will replace […]

Uber targets 100,000 robotaxis in partnership with Nvidia, Foxconn, and several car OEMs

October 29, 2025

Uber said on Tuesday it aims to deploy 100,000 self-driving vehicles on its ride-hailing platform, working with US chipmaker Nvidia to supply the computing systems that will power them. Car manufacturers involved are Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, Lucid, and possibly others. Nvidia’s new autonomous driving platform, Drive AGX Hyperion 10, will be installed in vehicles from multiple […]

Alstom consolidates its BeLux activities under French flag

October 29, 2025

French train manufacturer Alstom is consolidating its activities in Belgium and Luxembourg into its French entity, according to business newspaper L’Echo. At the same time, it is also parting ways with its Benelux CEO, Bernard Belvaux. “The new organizational structure will take effect on December 1 and reflects the close ties that exist between the […]

Dinant cable car likely to be closed for two years

October 29, 2025

Anyone wishing to visit the Citadel and the rock above the Walloon city of Dinant will no longer be able to do so by cable car. A technical report has identified wear and tear and aging, which means the cable car will have to be temporarily shut down, possibly for 1.5 to 2 years, to […]

Council of State critical of scrapping stricter LEZ rules

October 28, 2025

The Council of State is very critical of the Flemish plans to abolish the tightening of low-emission zones from 2026. According to the Council’s advice, which Belga was able to view, the intervention entails a “significant deterioration” in health and the environment. The original plan was to further tighten the rules from 2026 onward, meaning that owners […]

Half as many tram accidents involving pedestrians in Brussels

October 28, 2025

In the past ten years, the number of tram accidents involving pedestrians in the Brussels-Capital Region has halved. While the MIVB/STIB recorded between 40 and 50 such accidents per year in 2015, the figure for 2024 is 23 collisions. “A promising development,” says the public transport company, “but every accident has potentially serious consequences and […]

France tests live highway with induction charging near Paris

October 27, 2025

France has launched its first highway capable of charging electric vehicles while they drive. On a 1.5-kilometer stretch of the A10, near Angervilliers, southwest of Paris, VINCI Autoroutes and a consortium of partners have begun real-world tests of an inductive charging system touted as an innovation that should complement the charging infrastructure landscape. Developed in […]

Milestone for Antwerp Oosterweel works: new bypass put into use

October 27, 2025

Last weekend, traffic on the Antwerp ring road was diverted via the new bypass, a temporary highway alongside the current ring road that will replace it during the Oosterweel connection works. According to client Lantis, the transition was successful, but significant disruption is expected. The so-called ‘bypass’ between the Afas Dome (formerly called ‘Sportpaleis’) in Deurne and the […]

Canceled driving tests lead to a crisis atmosphere at test centers

October 27, 2025

It is well known that prospective drivers must wait a long time to take their driving test in Flanders. These long waiting times, of six to seven months, are partly because, on average, more than 4,000 driving tests for a Class B driver’s licence are canceled each year. After all, every lost time slot is […]

New fares at TEC in Wallonia from February

October 24, 2025

The Walloon public transport company TEC is reforming its fare structure from February 1st. A single price on the classic lines will replace the zone fares. There will also be an indexation of 2.15%. The current ‘Next’ and ‘Horizon’ tickets will be merged into a single ‘Classic’ ticket that is valid for 90 minutes on […]

Vias: ‘34% more pedestrian accidents due to winter time’

October 24, 2025

On Sunday, we will switch back to winter time. Clocks will be turned back one hour, extending the night by one hour and giving us an extra hour of sleep. Unfortunately, it also means that it will get dark earlier in the evening, and that there will be more pedestrian accidents after the time switch.  Vias […]

More Belgian families opt for cargo or longtail bikes in the city

October 23, 2025

Despite the high cost, Belgian urban families are increasingly opting for cargo bikes. According to figures from the mobility federation Traxio, sales in Belgium have skyrocketed over the past two years, rising by more than 66%, from 9,585 units in 2022 to 15,246 in 2024. The success of the cargo or longtail bike for the […]

Eurostar goes big: 50 new double-deck Alstom trains with up to 1,000 seats

October 23, 2025

High-speed train operator Eurostar has ordered 50 trains from French company Alstom. These are double-decker trains, a first for Eurostar. Thanks to their double configuration, with two trains coupled together, they offer more than 1,000 seats per journey while traveling at a maximum speed of 320 km/h. Eurostar needs the trains to open new routes […]

Michael Jost: ‘There’s no alternative to electric drives for cars’

October 23, 2025

Michael Jost, former head of VW Group’s product strategy, recently addressed the car industry, policymakers, and the general public at the E4Testival in Germany. His message was clear: “There is no alternative for electromobility and the so-called technology openness is an illusion.” His discourse was titled “Electrify the world – think bigger.” He asked his […]

Strike threat at Brussels Airlines after firing of crew with ‘bedbug fears’

October 22, 2025

The unions at Brussels Airlines are threatening to take action, such as a strike, following the dismissal of three flight attendants. The three refused to fly to Ghana after the cleaning crew reported pests on board, including fleas and bedbugs. According to Brussels Airlines, it was a false alarm. However, the action of the three […]

EU Parliament approves new digital driver’s license

October 22, 2025

The European Parliament has approved two texts that pave the way for digital driving licenses on smartphones by the end of 2030. They do not replace the physical driver’s license, but both will be valid. In the future, it will also be possible to begin training to become a truck driver at the age of 17. […]

LEZ in Brussels leads to faster fleet renewal

October 22, 2025

Criticized by some and cherished by others, the low-emission zone (LEZ) in Brussels is having the desired effect, according to the annual evaluation by Brussels Environment. The LEZ is leading to faster fleet renewal and better air quality in the Brussels-Capital Region. An average of 360,000 unique vehicles drive in the LEZ every day. Just […]

Febiac/Renta: ‘Mandatory mobility budget comes too soon’

October 22, 2025

Febiac and Renta, the federations of car manufacturers and rental firms in Belgium, are warning that the implementation of a mandatory mobility budget in the lease sector in Belgium as of the 1st of January 2026 is completely unrealistic and will cost the federal government some €10à million. Febiac and Renta emphasize the importance of […]

Belgian police revoke over 1,000 licences for ‘distracted driving’

October 21, 2025

During the national campaign against distracted driving on October 7 and 8, the Belgian police issued a total of 3,226 fines and immediate penalties. No fewer than 2,877 drivers were fined for using a cell phone while driving, and 1,097 driving licences were immediately revoked. “The number of violations remains very high,” says the federal […]

Prague is set to curb shared e-scooters from January 2026

October 21, 2025

The city of Prague has decided to ban shared/rental e-scooters on its territory from January 2026. From that date, shared e-scooter providers will not be allowed to operate unless they have specific contracts. Prague isn’t banning the concept of shared e-scooters entirely; it’s banning unregulated operations. These contracts will specify where vehicles can be parked, […]

Another 317,600 Belgian dieselgate victims have five days left to file claim

October 21, 2025

Belgian victims of the Dieselgate scandal who still want to file a claim for €1,000 in compensation need to hurry, because the deadline of Sunday, October 26th, is fast approaching. However, the victims themselves do not seem to be losing any sleep over it. According to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, only 2,400 Belgians have […]

VeloVeilig: ‘Flanders fails in terms of bicycle safety’

October 20, 2025

According to VeloVeilig Vlaanderen, a large-scale study on road safety in Flemish cities by newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws,  in which 27,676 residents participated, Flemish people give an average score of 4.8 out of 10 for general safety in their municipality. That’s a big fail. According to the study, 25% believe that there are still too […]

Koen Kennis new chairman at Oosterweel developer Lantis

October 20, 2025

Antwerp N-VA politician Koen Kennis has been appointed as chairman of Lantis, the developer of the Oosterweel connection. Kennis has served as a Lantis director for 15 years. He succeeds his party colleague Marc Descheemaecker. “His commitment to the organisation and his years of experience in mobility issues made him an easy choice for this role.” […]

Net-Zero Framework shipping postponed under pressure from Trump

October 20, 2025

The vote on a carbon tax for international shipping, known as the Net-Zero Framework (NZF), has been postponed for a year. This was decided on Friday in London by the member states of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the maritime branch of the United Nations. The postponement comes under pressure from US President Donald Trump. […]

De Lijn’s self-driving minibuses in Leuven need more time (update)

October 17, 2025

Eventually, from mid-November, Flemish public transport company De Lijn would be operating self-driving shuttle minibuses to transport passengers between Leuven station and Heverlee. A Belgian first: autonomous vehicles driving in busy city traffic at normal speeds of up to 40 km/h. But more time is needed to fine-tune and becoming fully operational is now postponed […]

Pedalling a tricycle at 120 km/h sounds impossible, right?

October 17, 2025

How about this: a pedalable trike vehicle with a top speed of up to 120 km/h? Something for you? It’s not entirely a crackpot idea, as there actually is a startup in France called Cixi working on a vehicle called the Vigoz that roughly matches that. That said, there are several caveats, and it has […]

Waymo to launch self-driving taxis in London in 2026

October 16, 2025

Alphabet-Google’s daughter company, Waymo, plans to introduce its robotaxi operations in London next year. This is in response to plans by the British government to allow commercial pilot projects with autonomous vehicles from 2026. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “delighted” by the announcement. For Waymo, this will be its second international expansion, after […]

Record number of Securail interventions at Brussels South

October 16, 2025

Securail, the NMBS/SCNB security service, was called upon more than 7,000 times last year to intervene at Brussels South station. This was reported by the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, among others, based on figures from Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés). With an average of 20 interventions per day for incidents in Brussels South, this is […]

Family pocketed €1,500 a time in massive driving test ‘earphone’ scam

October 15, 2025

The federal judicial police in Halle-Vilvoorde have arrested three members of the same family from Sint-Pieters-Leeuw who organized large-scale fraud in the theoretical driving test. Research shows that family members helped candidates obtain their theoretical driving licenses fraudulently. One of the suspects had already been arrested in 2023 for similar crimes. According to the public prosecutor’s […]

Without fresh Flemish millions Antwerp Airport faces bankruptcy

October 14, 2025

Despite millions in aid from Flanders and the federal government, totaling 13,5 million euros, Antwerp Airport’s financial situation is so dire that the so-called alarm bell procedure is in effect. This means that any creditor can ask the court to dissolve the company. Nevertheless, for Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA), who is […]

Washington wants to force the world to get rid of CO2 tax for shipping

October 13, 2025

The United States is threatening sanctions if the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations’ maritime branch, votes this week in London to adopt the Net-Zero Framework definitively. This framework aims to make shipping greener through a carbon tax. Sixty-three countries have already expressed their support for the plan, including Belgium. Sixteen countries, including Russia […]

Stripped-down Tesla Model Y Standard cuts under 40,000 euros in Europe

October 13, 2025

As previously announced, Tesla has begun assembly and sales of its new base model, the Model Y Standard. The new Model Y Standard, priced from €39,990 in Belgium, lowers the barrier to entry by trimming away some of the brand’s hallmark features. The Standard must help revive flagging European demand, though some European markets have […]

National strike on Oct 14 to disrupt transport and airports in Belgium

October 13, 2025

Tomorrow, Belgian trade unions will mobilize en masse against the Arizona government’s plans. They are hoping for a repeat of 2014, when 100,000 demonstrators turned up to protest, among other things, an index jump. The unions are particularly concerned about the government’s pension reforms, the planned expansion of flexi-jobs, and lower pay for night work. […]

Lufthansa CEO fears aviation sector will not achieve its 2050 climate targets

October 10, 2025

The head of Lufthansa does not believe the aviation sector will achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. CEO Carsten Spohr attributes this to the slow development of technology and the increased availability of more sustainable aircraft fuels. The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals. The company aims to achieve a neutral CO2 […]

Belgian rail unions reject draft agreement with Mobility Minister

October 10, 2025

The members of Belgium’s largest rail unions have rejected the draft agreement on a modernized statute for rail personnel that the unions had initially agreed with Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés). According to the rail unions, there will probably be no new round of negotiations, and the Minister is now free to do […]

From rockets to rail: Martin Sion becomes Alstom’s new CEO

October 10, 2025

Starting in April, Martin Sion, currently executive chairman of European aerospace company ArianeGroup, will become the new CEO of French railway manufacturer Alstom. Sion will replace Henri Poupart-Lafarge, the current CEO. Poupart-Lafarge, who has been CEO of Alstom since 2016, announced in May that he would not be seeking a fourth term. Martin Sion had […]

T&E: ‘Biofuels globally emit more CO2 than the fossil fuels they replace’

October 09, 2025

Global biofuels emit 16% more CO2 than the fossil fuels they replace, due to the indirect impacts of farming and deforestation, a new Cerulogy report on behalf of T&E shows. By 2030, biofuels are projected to emit 70 Mt CO₂e more than the fossil fuels they replace, equivalent to the annual emissions of almost 30 […]

More Belgian trains on weekends and after midnight after all

October 09, 2025

From December 14th, extra late trains will run from Brussels and Antwerp on Friday and Saturday evenings, sometimes until well after midnight. This has been announced by NMBS/SNCB. At weekends, there will also be more trains between several major cities, such as the suburban S-net around Brussels, Ghent, and Charleroi. The changes have already been […]

‘Slight decline in new motorcycles, second-hand market recovers’

October 09, 2025

According to Christophe Dubon, spokesman for car and two-wheeler federation Febiac, the new motorcycle market performed well in the first nine months of the year. “During the first nine months of 2025, the new motorcycle market experienced a slight decline of -4.3%, with a total of 21,728 registrations, which is not a bad result. The […]

Ghent postpones LEZ evaluation until legal certainty ensured

October 08, 2025

There will be no evaluation of the low-emission zone (LEZ) in Ghent for the time being. This is according to Filip Watteeuw (Groen), alderman for Climate and Environment, among others. According to Watteeuw, there is currently too much legal uncertainty, which means that the city cannot and will not decide to evaluate the LEZ and make […]

Hödlmayr applies for permit to store Stellantis’ overstock cars in Brustem

October 08, 2025

The German logistics company Hödlmayr, in cooperation with Stellantis, is currently using part of DronePort’s site in Brustem (Sint-Truiden, Limburg) to store a large number of new cars in ‘overstock’ produced by Stellantis.” Now, Hödlmayr has applied for a permit. What began as a temporary stopgap solution for car manufacturer Stellantis at the end of […]

EU’s intended tariff wall against cheap steel evokes mixed reactions

October 08, 2025

The European Commission wants to erect a tariff wall to protect the strategically important steel industry from global overcapacity. Welcomed by the European steel industry, which is in a state of survival, but met with skepticism by European carmakers who fear higher production costs. Specifically, the Commission wants to limit tariff-free imports of steel from […]

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