Over 10,000 people have been caught driving a banned vehicle inside Ghent's new low emissions zone (LEZ), more than half of whom are foreigners.
Since the LEZ was created at the start of the year, 14,000 drivers have been caught entering the area with a banned vehicle, with the number of offenders caught daily averaging 548.
Out of the total number of drivers caught in violation of the ban, more than half, or 10,000 were driving a foreign vehicle, and a majority among them were from the Netherlands.
Dutch drivers made up 46% of the foreign offenders of the LEZ, followed by French (23%) and German (11%) drivers, according to reports by HLN.
While no fines were issued during the first month of the ban, designated by authorities as a tolerance period, fines have been issued since 1 February.
Foreign drivers likely to come to the Flemish city are called to register with local authorities in advance to verify whether their vehicle is allowed in the LEZ.
Drivers who continue to drive banned vehicles inside the LEZ risk a fine of up to €150.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
