Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt has proposed a kilometre-based tax on the ring around Brussels to reduce congestion.
This would be an extension of Brussels’ so-call SmartMove city toll plan, which would tax drivers a fixed toll per car, supplemented by an additional charge per kilometre. That plan was the subject of criticism from both Flanders and Wallonia.
Van den Brandt’s suggestion is a reaction to a push by Flanders to widen parts of the ring road on its territory over fears that SmartMove would lead to heavier traffic on the ring road.
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Indeed, the plan “predicts a drop in car traffic in the Brussels Region, but, on the other hand, it foresees an 18% increase in traffic on the ring, while it is already saturated,” said Christophe De Beukelaer, a member of the Brussels Parliament, during a mobility committee meeting.
Van den Brandt maintained that such a kilometre tax “could relieve the current congestion on the ring,” however. “In any case, the hypothesis should be studied,” she added.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
