Belgium's Central Council for the Economy (CCE), which represents trade unions and employers to the Belgian Government, is evaluating private car reimbursement systems to propose measures to curb individual car use, amid the rising fuel prices.
Currently, 95.2% of private-sector workers receive allowances for commuting by car under collective labour agreements, according to the CCE's report.
Reimbursement methods vary across sectors. For nearly half of the workforce, these allowances are calculated based on the cost of a train subscription provided by national railway operator SNCB-NMBS, rather than the actual costs of using a car.
Federal Government employees face stricter rules, with mileage reimbursements—set at €0.4327/km for the second quarter of 2026—only granted if public transport is proven impractical.
Employer financial contributions for mobility are tax-exempt up to €500 annually per worker.
The CCE notes that such financial incentives reinforce the reliance on cars for commuting in Belgium. It highlights several strategies to reduce this dependency, while addressing two major hurdles: the accessibility of remote areas and the challenges of covering the "last mile."
The report finds that workplaces located far from transport hubs tend to increase reliance on cars. Industries are particularly affected, with sites often located on the outskirts and operating hours poorly aligned with public transport schedules.
To counter this trend, the CCE suggests alternatives like teleworking, cycling (including electric bikes), public transport, carpooling, and organised collective transport. However, the report underscores that no single solution can fully replace cars, calling instead for multimodal transport systems.
Multimodality would involve integrating trains with shared bicycles, on-demand transport services (such as Wallonia's public transport operator Le TEC's flexible offerings), and collective shuttles to bridge the "last kilometre" between public transport stops and workplaces.
The CCE emphasises the need for substantial investments in secure cycling infrastructure and better collaboration between public transport operators and businesses to serve economically significant, but underserved, areas.
The report also advocates for rethinking financial incentives and encouraging behavioural shifts to reduce car reliance.
According to the CCE, improving accessibility is critical to lowering employment barriers and fostering economic opportunity.
