Violators of Brussels’ low-emission zone (LEZ) established on 1 January 2018 can now be fined, following the expiry of a nine-month grace period during which such penalties were not imposed. In real terms, the end of the grace period means that, from October, anyone not respecting the LEZ can receive notices in their letter boxes requiring them to pay the penalty, which amounts to 350 euros. That fine will be charged for each infraction, the Brussels Region explained on its web page dedicated to the measure.
“However, any new fine may only be chargeable three months after the preceding one, which allows people to make arrangements to change the vehicle or change their travel habits,” the Region said. “Over a one-year period, a maximum of four fines can thus be issued per vehicle.”
Since 1 January, the most pollutive diesel vehicles, catgorized as Euro Norm 0 and Euro Norm 1, can no longer be driven in Brussels Region. Gasolene-powered vehicles listed in these categories will be banned from 2019, as will Euro 2 diesel vehicles.
Barring exemptions, the vehicles concerned are individual cars, vans up to 3.5 tonnes (marked as Category N1 on vehicle registration cards), buses and minibuses registered in Belgium or abroad.
The Brussels Times
