Since it established a low emissions zone (LEZ) in 2017, Antwerp has collected around €25.5 million in fines imposed on offending drivers, a windfall it is reinvesting partly in maintaining the zone, De Standaard, Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Nieuwsblad reported on Thursday.
The number of polluting vehicles circulating in the centre of Antwerp has gone down drastically since the LEZ was introduced. In 2017, violations rose on average to 244 a day, as against 118 in 2018, about half less.
This downward trend was confirmed in the first four months of 2019, since enforcement officers only issued an average of 64 fines per day.
In 2018, these contraventions brought the city €10.8 million euro in extra revenue, a higher sum than in 2017 that is explained by the application of the regulations to vehicles registered abroad as well. In 2018, the latter made up about a third of the amount collected.
Most of the money is then reinvested in running and maintaining the LEZ as well as in personnel and communications.
In Brussels, the average number of non-authorised vehicles driving in the LEZ has seen a drop since tighter regulations introduced this year were paired up with stricter enforcement. In June, the average number of fines issued to non-compliant vehicles was of 400 per day, down from 600 daily fines registered in January, as previously reported.
The Brussels Times
