Mobility Newsletter February 2023

What's new in mobility? At the start of each month, we share the latest news related to mobility.

In the news 📰

Last year, every two days a soft road user died in traffic in Belgium. In fact, the number of dead cyclists has never been higher than in 2022 and no less than one in three fatalities were soft road users. A total of 521 people lost their lives, an increase of eight per cent compared to 2021. The number of accidents with injuries also increased, this by nine per cent. Source

The fixed fares for young people and seniors at SNCB will disappear. From February 2025 onwards, fares will be based on the distance travelled. To ensure long journeys do not become too expensive, a maximum price will be applied. There will also be discounts during off-peak hours and for regular train travellers. Source

Mobility facts 🧮

In July last year, Flanders car inspection started using a new soot measuring device. With this equipment, many more cars are (rightfully) being rejected because of excessive emissions. During the last six months of 2022, 15 times more diesel cars were rejected compared to 2021. Source

The French government launched a new road safety campaign this month. The campaign focuses on men. In France, men cause 84 per cent of fatal accidents and 78 per cent of all road deaths are male.  Source

Did you know❓

In Wallonia, the price for driving exams will rise from March 1 making the total cost for both the theoretical and practical driving test 72 euros. In Flanders and Brussels, the exam costs respectively 60 and 65 euros . Source

The city of Ghent starts using road markings to indicate where cyclists are best to ride near tram tracks. They also show them how best to cross these tram tracks by means of V-shaped arrows and bicycle logos. This way, Ghent aims to reduce the 500 cycling accidents caused by tram tracks on a yearly base. Source

Car sharing in Belgium continues to gain popularity. In 2022, there were 40 per cent more active users than in 2021. A total of 121,394 people actively use a shared car. Owning one's own car thus appears to be becoming less important. Source