‘More than a quarter of Brussels car owners could do without’

More than one in four Brussels motorists (27%) could do without a car. This is the finding of a survey conducted by Brussels Mobility. Through the sample of 1,900 Brussels residents with a car, Brussels Mobility aims to better understand car use and which alternatives to the car could be made more attractive.

On average, Brussels motorists use the car for 3,9 trips per week, although there are major differences among Brussels residents: 26% make between one and four trips by car per week, 37% make more than four trips, and the same percentage of motorists use the vehicle for less than one trip per week.

Almost four trips per week on average

But remarkably, the motorists surveyed indicate that other modes of transport could accomplish 32% of car trips relatively easily. Consequently, more than one in four Brussels motorists, or 27% of the participants, indicated they could also do without a car, although these were mainly respondents living around the city center.

The study also examined the parking habits of Brussels residents. Slightly more than half of Brussels motorists (54%) park their car daily in a street close to their home, and 44% of respondents who park their vehicle at least a few times a month near their home say they have “some difficulty” finding a parking space. In turn, one in five said they have “a lot of trouble”, especially in and around the city center.

Parking in the street

The survey also shows that 29% of Brussels residents with private parking spaces still often park their cars on the street. 36% of them mainly because they use the garage as a laundry or storage room, 22% mainly because they find it difficult to drive their car into the garage.

For your information: due to the urban character of Brussels, with shops, schools, work, and services more often within walking distance or easily accessible by public transport, Brussels residents less and less often have a car. In 2022, 54,5% of Brussels households did without a car, in 2023 it was 55,8%.

End of bike-sharing system Villo!?

According to outgoing Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), the extensive study provides valuable insight into Brussels motorists’ travel habits and allows for the study of how alternatives to the car can be made more attractive.

For example, Brussels Mobility suggests developing a public self-service bicycle service to replace Villo!, whose concession expires in 2026. Villo! has some 22,000 users in Brussels, accounting for one million yearly trips. Another suggestion is to incorporate vehicle weight as a parking and road tax pricing variable.

“It is important for the administration to maintain an ongoing dialogue with municipalities, transport companies, and associations,” Van den Brandt said. “Every day, we make Brussels a better place to live, play, breathe, and move around more smoothly.”