SmartMove, what’s it all about?
SmartMove is an initiative of the Brussels government to untangle the traffic knot and make our capital city more liveable, healthy and attractive again.
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1. An intelligent kilometre charge
Our transport choices have a real social cost. With an intelligent kilometre charge, we charge for the actual costs.
- By setting a price for road use per kilometre, depending on traffic density and the type of car, these costs are passed on fairly and proportionally.
- The intelligent kilometre charge allows you to make informed choices. You can choose other forms of transport, a different time of day and a vehicle that pollutes less or not at all.
- A kilometre charge is the most efficient way to tackle traffic congestion, international traffic experts agree.
2. Offering different mobility alternatives
Of course, the car is useful and often necessary. But when you factor in the social costs, its use is not always so responsible.
- 62% of all car trips in Brussels are less than 5 km.*
- 25% are even shorter than 1 km.*
- 48% of all car commuters are alone in the car.**
Taking the car is often a habit. Yet there are plenty of alternatives, and their selection is constantly increasing.
- Brussels has one of the most finely-meshed public transport networks in the country.
- The Brussels region invested almost €1 billion in public transport in 2021.
- In 2020, an additional 40 km of cycle paths were constructed.
- The choice of shared cars, bikes, scooters and e-scooters continues to grow.
Be sure to check what is the best combination for you! The SmartMove app is your best guide.
*Brussels Environment, Mobility
**Brussels Mobility, Good Move
3. A new fair automobile tax system for Brussels residents
Taxation is an important policy instrument. You can influence certain choices with it. Also transport choices.
- That is why the Brussels-Capital Region has opted for a tax system that is no longer based on the possession of a car, but on its use.
- For Brussels residents, current road taxes are being adjusted: the tax on entry into service for vehicles up to and including 14 taxable horsepower and the annual road tax are being abolished.
- That makes this form of taxation simpler, fairer and sometimes even more favourable.
The Brussels region is keen to develop this project further with both Flanders and Wallonia.
Why SmartMove is vital for the whole country
Brussels is nearing gridlock
Anyone driving into Brussels during peak hours will notice it: a saturation point has been reached. Traffic is jammed.
- Today, drivers in Brussels waste an average of 45 minutes a day in traffic jams.
- Over the whole year, the loss is estimated at 195 hours, or 26 working days. Time you could spend on more enjoyable things.
The effect can be felt all the way to the Ring Road and beyond. The whole region thus also benefits from smoother traffic in and around Brussels.
How does SmartMove improve mobility?
Up to 30% less time wasted in traffic jams and faster public transport? Yes, it’s possible.
Traffic jams, an economic drain
How does SmartMove help the economy?
Find out how SmartMove is breathing new life into the region's economy.
Brussels is an important economic crossroads. Also literally, in terms of traffic. The traffic jams in and around Brussels also slow down the economic growth of the Belgian economy.
- For the Brussels region alone, the estimated economic loss amounts to between €850 million and €1.7 billion.
- So this also means a loss for the rest of the country.
The human toll is unacceptably high
Traffic also comes with a high human toll. And not just because of accidents. Air pollution is a silent killer.
- Exhaust gases are extremely harmful to health and the environment.
- Sun combined with exhaust fumes creates ozone, which causes irritation of the eyes, throat and nose, pneumonia and asthma attacks.
- Soot and particulate matter penetrate deep into the lungs and cause inflammation.
- Whether you live here or just work, we breathe the same air.
We therefore urgently need to work towards a healthier living and working environment.
How does SmartMove improve health?
Preventing premature deaths and diseases is also a matter of urgency.
Our ecosystem is suffocating
How does SmartMove create a healthier environment?
How do we limit the impact of traffic on our environment and climate?
Nature also suffers from air and environmental pollution caused by traffic. Moreover, the problem is not limited to Brussels and its surroundings.
- Traffic is responsible for a fifth of CO2 emissions and two thirds of harmful nitrogen oxides in the air.
- These greenhouse gases pose a threat to the entire planet due to climate change.
Everyone benefits from a healthier environment. And with SmartMove, Brussels is helping the whole country meet its climate targets.
The step-by-step plan
The SmartMove project was given concrete expression and approved by the Brussels government on 3 December 2020. This decision is the basis for consultation with the various regions.
- From 2021: consultation phase.
- In the course of 2021, work continues on the operationalisation and modalities of the project.
- During 2022: test phase.
- The continuation of the plan will be announced later.