NMBS/SNCB rejects idea of access gates in train stations

September 11, 2025

The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SCNB has always been a lukewarm supporter of access gates in train stations. This idea has been raised several times in the past and was also mentioned in the coalition agreement, but has now been shelved by NMBS/SNCB after a “negative business case.” According to Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke […]

Assuralia: ‘14% more accidents with soft mobility in five years’

September 11, 2025

While the number of occupational accidents has decreased over the past decade, accidents on the way to and from work have increased. In Belgium, more than 10,000 accidents involving ‘soft mobility’ occurred last year on the way to, from, or for work, according to an extensive study by the insurance federation Assuralia. In five years, the […]

Flanders under pressure to clear up confusion on stricter LEZs

September 10, 2025

From January 1, there is a threat of stricter rules for low-emission zones (LEZ) in Antwerp and Ghent, even though the new coalition agreement stipulated that there would be no such tightening of the rules. Both the governing parties, N-VA and Vooruit, are urging Flemish Minister for the Environment Jo Brouns (CD&V) to provide clarity […]

150 e-mobility companies ask EU not to give in on 2035 ICE ban

September 09, 2025

Some 150 leading companies from the e-mobility sector sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, asking the EU not to postpone the 2035 ban on combustion engines. The call to stick to the zero-emission target for cars and vans was prompted by a vote in the European Parliament, in which the […]

New 70-meter distance rule in Spain draws criticism and… fines

September 08, 2025

A new traffic sign has recently (July 1st, 2025) been introduced in Spain, and it is already causing quite a stir. The sign requires drivers to maintain a 70-meter minimum distance, but that isn’t easy to estimate. And what if a car suddenly appears in front of you? In 2023, rear-end collisions on highways tragically caused […]

Belgian police to monitor NMBS/SNCB cameras in real-time

September 05, 2025

The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB will now make its camera footage directly available to police officers. This will enable the police to monitor what is happening in stations and station areas in real-time. Until now, police services could only request the images after the fact, for example, after an incident had occurred. Almost 130 […]

Belgian rail pays nearly €280,000 in compensation for train delays

September 05, 2025

€280,000. That is the amount of compensation that the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB had to pay last year to passengers whose trains did not arrive or were late. This was reported by the newspaper De Morgen. It is mainly delays of more than an hour that are costing the railway company money. A response from […]

Record of 7.6 million speeding tickets, but support for limits grows

September 05, 2025

Never before have Belgian police registered so many traffic violations (9.2 million) as last year. That represents a 10.7 percent increase compared to the previous year, marking the highest number ever. The number of minor speeding violations, in particular, increased sharply. In total, drivers were caught speeding more than 7.6 million times, almost 13 percent more […]

Court of Auditors slams Walloon government’s charging station policy

September 04, 2025

The policy pursued by the previous Walloon government for the rollout of a charging station infrastructure for EVs is inadequate. This is the conclusion of a damning report by the Belgian Court of Auditors. The plan also focuses too much on the number of charging points and, according to the Court of Auditors, lacks a […]

Ayvens and Plugsurfing sign MoU on better charging solutions

September 03, 2025

Mobility and leasing company Ayvens and the charging platform Plugsurfing have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on an all-encompassing charging solution for international and local corporates and for small and midsize companies. Clients of both Ayvens and Plugsurfing now gain access to the biggest EV charging network in Europe, already offering more […]

‘Brussels air quality improves but pollution remains dangerous’

September 03, 2025

Air quality in the Brussels-Capital Region has improved over the past ten years. According to the latest Annual Report on Air Quality from Brussels Environment, the low-emission zone, the accelerated transition from diesel to other engines, the modal shift, and technological developments explain this positive trend. However, not all mandatory standards are being met, and […]

Emily Coenegrachts is the new CEO of Traxio

September 03, 2025

Mobility federation Traxio has a new chief executive officer. Emily Coenegrachts will report to the board and the strategic committee. Coenegracht has expertise from very different sectors in the industry and has been working, among others, for BPost, VIAS, and Keolis. She will start officially in her new position on the 15th of September. Traxio […]

No more C driving license required for campers up to 4,250 kg

September 01, 2025

Anyone driving a camper or motorhome weighing more than 3,500 kg will soon no longer be required to hold a category C driver’s license. With a short training course or exam, a category B driver’s license will soon be sufficient for campers up to 4,250 kg. With a trailer, this can even reach up to […]

Drunk driving will be punished more severely in Antwerp and Limburg

September 01, 2025

Today, drivers lose their licenses for fifteen days if they exceed the 1.2 per mille limit. Starting September 1st, this will be 0.8 per mille in the provinces of Antwerp and Limburg. The East Flanders public prosecutor’s office is also considering stricter measures. Drunk driving is one of the leading causes of traffic accidents. Research […]

Brunel Solar Team wins World Solar Challenge; Belgians finish third

August 29, 2025

On Thursday, the Innoptus Solar Team finished third in Adelaide at the World Solar Car Racing Championship. Due to the bad weather, the Belgians decided to start half an hour later to store more energy in their battery, but this dropped them from second to third place. They ultimately finished third in Adelaide, after a 3,021 km […]

SD Worx: ‘20% of Belgian commuters travel more than 1.5 hour’

August 29, 2025

Belgian employees spend an average of one hour (57 minutes, to be specific) traveling to and from work. Some even spend more than an hour and a half commuting. This is evident from international research by human resources specialist SD Worx among 16,000 employees in 15 European countries and the UK. According to a survey […]

Mobility Dashboard shows 52% drop in traffic jams, but safety worsens

August 28, 2025

According to the Belgian Mobility Dashboard, a freely accessible platform that provides a range of essential mobility indicators for Belgium, it turns out that despite smoother traffic in the summer, Belgian roads are not safer. As in previous years, the summer months brought a noticeable decrease in traffic jams on the roads. But paradoxically, less traffic doesn’t […]

Stellantis puts Level 3 autonomous driving on ice

August 28, 2025

Stellantis has quietly shelved its first in-house Level 3 advanced driver-assistance program, called Auto Drive. Rising costs, technical hurdles and uncertain consumer appetite have urged the group to pause or abandon development, according to a report by Reuters. The Franco-Italian-American group, which owns Jeep, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroën, had trumpeted its “AutoDrive” programme earlier this […]

Work has begun on shore power for cruise ships in Zeebrugge

August 27, 2025

On Tuesday, work began to install a shore power installation at the cruise terminal on the Swedish Quay in Zeebrugge (Belgium). In the near future, cruise ships will be able to switch off their polluting diesel generators and fully utilize shore power. Shore power is an environmentally friendly and quiet way for ships to moor. It allows […]

Germany and Canada forge rare earth metals agreement, essential for EVs

August 27, 2025

Germany and Canada will collaborate more closely in the field of rare earth metals, such as cobalt, lithium, tungsten, and nickel. These raw materials are essential components for EV batteries, electric motors, and other applications. Both countries will finance projects in Canada for the extraction of these materials in the future. This was agreed by […]

NGOs also put pressure on NMBS/SNCB in CAF case (update)

August 27, 2025

There is another fly in the ointment in the NMBS/SNCB saga concerning the designation of the Spanish company CAF as the preferred bidder for a multi-billion euro order for up to 600 new trainsets. Following the French company Alstom’s continued exercise of its legal rights before the Council of State in Belgium regarding the tender, […]

482 children and young people injured in traffic in Brussels every year

August 26, 2025

Last year, 482 children and young people were injured in traffic accidents in Brussels. The figures come from Brussels Mobility, which publishes them due to the first day of school in French-speaking education in the capital. The service reminds all road users, including drivers, cyclists, e-scooter users, and pedestrians, to be extra cautious and to […]

Zombies on the streets? Vias warns of young people’s risky behavior in traffic

August 25, 2025

Traffic accidents remain one of the leading causes of death and injury among young people. One reason for this is that young people, especially boys, often exhibit risky behavior in traffic. A study by the Vias Institute, for example, shows that four out of ten adolescents do not always wear a seatbelt when traveling in […]

De Lijn tests AI driving assistant on trams

August 22, 2025

The Flemish public transport company De Lijn is testing a new, intelligent driving assistance system in Antwerp to warn tram drivers of potential hazards, such as pedestrians, cyclists, or obstacles on the tracks. The system uses cameras, sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI), and was developed by the Ghent-based technology company OTIV. The tests are part […]

Volvo Car Gent scraps its bus services for employees

August 22, 2025

From January 2026, Volvo Car Gent will discontinue its own bus transport service for its approximately 6,500 employees. The decision to terminate the private bus service comes as no surprise: only 98 employees still use the service. The bus service had, therefore, become too expensive to continue. Together with the personnel department, a solution is […]

Greenpeace: flying in EU is ‘shockingly’ encouraged

August 21, 2025

The most polluting way to travel is almost always the cheapest. Or: Trains are often slightly cheaper than planes. It’s a matter of interpretation or wording, but these are two headlines about a new Greenpeace study on the fact that flying in Europe is cheaper than talking the train in more than half of all […]

Bruges is unfolding as Belgium’s largest cycling zone

August 20, 2025

As of October 1st, the city of Bruges will designate almost the entire city center as a cycling zone. The current 90 ‘bicycle streets’ will be expanded by an additional 300. Only the access roads to the city and the De Lijn route will be excluded from the expansion of the bicycle zone. This is […]

AWSR: ‘Two children per day involved in traffic accident on way to school’

August 19, 2025

Every year, more than 360 children are involved in a traffic accident on their way to school – more than two victims per school day. That is why the Walloon Road Safety Agency (Agence Wallonne pour la Sécurité Routière, AWSR) is launching an awareness-raising campaign to prepare parents and children for their school journey. The […]

Widening Brussels Ring Road continues to meet government resistance

August 19, 2025

The Brussels Ring Road is only 75 km long, but it can be seen as a symbol of Belgium’s communal complexity. The Works Association (De Werkvennootschap), an entity within the Flemish government established to tackle complex projects, has just reached an agreement with the environmental organization Dryade on the redevelopment of the Brussels Ring Road, […]

Palaces on rails: how billionaires are rediscovering the glory of railways

August 18, 2025

No one bats an eyelid anymore at a billionaire with a private jet or a collection of exclusive luxury cars. But having your own private train carriage or railway line is, of course, a different matter altogether. In the United States in particular, investing in historic train cars has been the latest status symbol for […]

UCLA measures double polluting particles around EV fast-chargers

August 18, 2025

A recent UCLA study discovered that the air around EV fast chargers in use had twice the amount of harmful fine particles typically found in an urban environment. Plugging an EV into a DC fast charger kicks up fine particles that pollute the air. Electric vehicles may be completely tailpipe emissions-free, but they still pollute […]

From Belgian comics to cars: Geely debuts the Smurf micro-EV

August 18, 2025

Geely Group’s Livan Automotive has pulled the covers off its latest entry in China’s booming micro-EV segment. It bears a name that is all too familiar to the Belgian public: the Livan Smurf, named after the beloved comic characters from Peyo, is a compact, four-seat hatchback priced to compete directly with bestsellers like the Wuling […]

Brussels e-bike manufacturer Cowboy in dire straits? (update)

August 14, 2025

Cowboy, the Brussels-based manufacturer of trendy, usually dark black electric bikes, has always been surrounded by a certain amount of financial haze. The recall of the C4 ST (Edition MR) model in early May due to the risk of frame breakage has once again thrown the company into turmoil. There is even talk of a new […]

Securail agents face prosecution after violent ‘racist’ incident

August 14, 2025

The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into an incident at Brussels North train station in which Securail agents allegedly assaulted a woman of African origin. According to the public prosecutor’s office, blows were inflicted by both a Securail officer and another person involved in the incident. Both are now under investigation, but […]

Are EV totems the future of charging – or just a taller way to sell ads?

August 13, 2025

A new kind of charging station is cropping up in the US — and you can’t miss it. Quite literally. Dubbed ‘EV totems’, these tall poles pair electric vehicle chargers with high-definition advertising screens mounted several meters above the ground. The idea is part infrastructure upgrade, part digital billboard. Blink, the American firm rolling out […]

Hasselt is considering banning fatbikes

August 13, 2025

Fatbikes may be very popular, especially among young people, but most cities are happy to see them gone. Some Dutch cities – Enschede, Hengelo, and Amsterdam, for instance – have even considered banning these cumbersome electric bikes, and now the Belgian town of Hasselt in Limburg is also considering a ban. But what exactly is […]

UK considers mandatory eye tests for older road users

August 12, 2025

The United Kingdom is considering plans to introduce a mandatory eye test for older road users to reduce road deaths and injuries. According to news media BBC and Sky News, people over 70 may face a driving ban in the future if they fail a mandatory eye test. In 2024, 1,633 people were killed in traffic and […]

Work starts on new 6.5 km cycle highway Anderlecht-Laeken

August 12, 2025

Brussels is getting a new cycle highway: the C223 will connect Bockstael (Laeken) with the former Kuregem station (Anderlecht) along railway line 28, which runs between Schaerbeek station and Brussels-South. The 6.5 km long cycle and walking path, which is being constructed just now by the Brussels public works contractor Beliris, crosses five municipalities: the […]

Belgium’s trains ran more punctually in July, but there is a catch

August 08, 2025

The trains of the Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB ran more punctually in July compared to a year ago. In July, 93,4% of trains arrived on time or with a maximum delay of 6 minutes in Brussels or at their destination. This means that punctuality was higher than in July last year, when it was […]

Belgian train driver posts live on TikTok and gets sacked

August 08, 2025

The Belgian public railway company NMBS/SNCB has dismissed a train driver for posting a live video on TikTok while driving a train. This was reported by the newspaper Le Soir, among others. Or how a well-intentioned “proportional initiative”, according to the train driver, turned into a personal nightmare. According to the newspapers, the incident dates to […]

Nissan launches new Micra EV in EU at €29,250 (update)

August 08, 2025

Nissan has announced prices for the electric Micra, which was presented in May. After the UK, where it starts at £22,995, the same price as the R5 Electric, with which it shares its technology, the price is set in Belgium at 29,250. That’s 5,000 euros more than the R5 e-tech base version here, but this […]

Sicily to get world’s longest suspension bridge to mainland

August 07, 2025

The Italian government has approved the project to build a 3.3-kilometer suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina. It will be the longest suspension bridge in the world, connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland. The project, scheduled for completion by 2032, has a price tag of € 13.5 billion. The arrival of the bridge, already […]

700-meter-long work train renovates Leuven-Liège high-speed line

August 06, 2025

Until 17 August, Belgian rail network operator Infrabel will be renewing 24 km of sleepers on the section between Hoegaarden and Pousset. The company is using a 700-meter-long mega work train for this to replace around 40,000 sleepers. This Austrian work train, weighing 1,600 tons, travels across Europe to undertake massive construction projects. This is […]

Helsinki sees zero traffic fatalities thanks to 30 km/h speed limit

August 05, 2025

Many cities and policymakers dream of it, but few can achieve what Helsinki accomplished last year: zero traffic fatalities. The formula behind these exceptional figures is the introduction of a 30 km/hour speed limit in the city. But speed limits were certainly not the only important factor contributing to this success. The zero traffic fatalities […]

Chinese Baidu to launch robotaxis in Europe in partnership with Lyft

August 05, 2025

Baidu, the Chinese internet giant and pioneer in autonomous driving, is set to bring its robotaxi service to European streets in 2026. The announcement marks one of China’s most ambitious international moves in the field of self-driving transport to date. In a deal announced on Monday, Baidu said it will partner with US ride-hailing firm […]

Heathrow pushes ahead with controversial €24 billion third runaway

August 01, 2025

Heathrow Airport in London wants to expand for 49 billion pounds, or more than 56 billion euros. The plan includes the construction of a controversial third runway of 3,5 kilometers, which is expected to cost at least 24 billion euros. A new terminal will also have to be built, current facilities will have to be […]

Lufthansa profits double, Air France-KLM turnover quadruples

August 01, 2025

Lufthansa more than doubled its profits in the second quarter of this year despite recent trade tensions. “The Lufthansa Group remains on track,” says CEO Carsten Spohr, referring to the net profit of 1.2 billion euros. Air France-KLM also reported significantly higher profits in the past quarter compared to the same period a year earlier. […]

Europe to roll out new biometric border control system for non-EU citizens

July 31, 2025

Starting October 12, the European Union will begin the gradual rollout of a new electronic border control system, known as the entry and exit system (EES). Under this automated control system, third-country nationals wishing to enter or exit the EU (or Switzerland and Liechtenstein) will be required to provide their biometric data, fingerprints, and a […]

MIVB/STIB pinpoints noise pollution caused by M7 metro trains

July 30, 2025

Eureka moment at MIVB/STIB: the Brussels public transport company has made a breakthrough in the issue of noise pollution caused by the wheels of the new M7 metro trains. The wheel manufacturer has developed new wheels that meet strict technical criteria. Production has already started, and delivery is scheduled for the last quarter of 2025, […]

Bpost buys another 500 e-vans bringing total to over 3,000

July 30, 2025

Belgian postal services, Bpost, has ordered 500 new electric vehicles, which are expected to arrive in the fall. As a result, the postal company’s fleet of EVs will soon exceed 3,000 units. According to the company, this makes Bpost’s fleet not only the most significant operational fleet in Belgium, but also the greenest. As a […]

Mary Kay goes electric with pink Cadillac Optiq

July 28, 2025

Mary Kay Cosmetics Incorporated, the famous American cosmetics company known for rewarding its best salespeople with a pink Cadillac, now offers them an electric version. Mary Kay Ash (born Mary Kathlyn Wagner, May 12, 1918 – November 22, 2001) was an American businesswoman and founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. The company was founded in […]

Liège-Verviers railway line closed for a month for major modernization

July 28, 2025

Train services between Liège-Guillemins and Verviers will be suspended entirely from today until Sunday, 24 August. Infrabel is starting a major modernization project on line 37. The works include the renewal of points, tracks, overhead lines, and signaling. Certain bridges will also be renovated, including a bridge in Pepinster that was severely damaged by the […]

Stellantis stops production of combustion engines in Douvrin

July 25, 2025

Car manufacturer Stellantis, with brands such as Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Jeep, and Fiat, will cease production of combustion engines at its Douvrin facility in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. The approximately 350 employees at the site will be transferred to the nearby ACC gigafactory, a joint venture for battery production, or to other sites […]

BMW and MINI App show drivers’ carbon footprint

July 25, 2025

BMW has announced a new update for the My BMW App and MINI App, introducing a feature that allows drivers to view their carbon footprint. It’s designed for use with traditional ICE vehicles as well as BEVs and plug-in hybrids. “Our usage research shows: The information in My Trips is one of the most popular […]

Do EVs make more people carsick than combustion cars?

July 24, 2025

An increasing number of people are experiencing motion sickness in electric cars, but why is this happening? Scientists are trying to find an acceptable explanation as to why people feel more motion sick riding in an EV than in a traditional petrol or diesel car. For your information, in 2024, 22% of new car sales […]

NMBS/SNCB holds firm in choosing Spanish CAF’s 600 new trains

July 24, 2025

The Board of directors of the Belgian public railroad company NMBS/SNCB has finally chosen Spanish train builder CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) as the preferred bidder for the supply of new train carriages. It concerns a contract for up to 600 new train sets by 2034, for an estimated sum of between €1.7 billion […]

Electra raises another €433 million to expand European charging network

July 24, 2025

Electra, operator of charging stations for electric vehicles, is taking out a green loan of up to €433 million to finance its future growth. The funding will be used to accelerate the rollout of high-quality infrastructure further. This transaction brings the total financing raised by Electra since its inception to over €1 billion. Electra’s network currently includes […]

New 20-year permit for Charleroi and Liège airports

July 23, 2025

Charleroi Airport has received a new environmental permit from the Walloon government. The permit for Brussels South Charleroi Airport is valid for 20 years. The cargo-specialized Liège Airport has also received a new environmental permit. The new permit comes with several conditions related to noise pollution and the environment. Adjusted noise rules and quota to […]

Houthi attacks in Red Sea cause container ship emissions to spike

July 22, 2025

According to a new study by the Copenhagen-based analytics company Sea-Intelligence, carbon emissions from container ships operating in the European Union rose significantly in 2024. Last year, the ships listed in the EU emissions database emitted 52.8 million tons of CO2, representing a 46% increase from the previous year.” The ongoing crisis in the Red […]

Ailing rail freight operator Lineas gets €61 million from Belgian government

July 22, 2025

The Belgian government is proposing a 61 million euro rescue package for Lineas, Europe’s largest private rail freight operator. Without that convertible loan, a loan that can be converted into shares of the company, bankruptcy is looming for the Belgian company. The loan will be made through SFPIM, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Belgium. That […]

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