The Brussels City Council approved a new parking regulation on Monday evening, set to be implemented in three phases.
From 1st September, parking fees will nearly double in red and green zones, with the cost for two hours in a red zone increasing from €5 to €9.20, and in green zones from €3 to €5.50. The city aligns itself with twelve other municipalities in the capital adhering to regional pricing, as noted by Anaïs Maes, alderwoman for Mobility.
The reform goes beyond just fee adjustments. From 1 July, the window for paid parking in residential areas will be reduced by two hours, ending at 19:00, while in busy areas like the Pentagon, Louise, and Heysel, it will continue until 21:00. Parking fees and resident permits will be adjusted to the regional rate from this date.
Free parking durations will extend from 15 to 20 minutes to accommodate short stops, starting in September.
In January 2026, the number of free visitor permits for local residents will double from ten to 20. Additional permits will still require payment, with a cap of 100 permits, both free and paid.
Lastly, the alderwoman for Mobility announced that a dialogue will commence with neighbouring municipalities to better align the parking rules across regions.
The Green party abstained from voting, raising concerns that parking revenue could “explode,” increasing from €9 million in 2021, to €14 million in 2022, and reaching €35 million by 2024-2025. They warned this could severely impact families without achieving meaningful mobility goals, according to Benoît Hellings.
Bruno Bauwens of the PVDA criticised the initiative, stating, “The parking permit is just a tax,” and labelled the scan vehicle as “an extortion vehicle,” asserting residents bear the costs while large private parking companies evade taxation.
Mourad Maimouni from Team Fouad Ahidar regretted the majority’s decision to increase parking revenue, arguing that it discourages people from visiting the city centre due to “unaffordable” parking fees.
