As part of the regional Good Move mobility plan, a dozen of new traffic filters with a licence plate recognition system will come into force in the City of Brussels at the end of November.
After the first traffic changes took effect on 16 August, the second phase of the Good Move plan in Brussels city centre (often called 'Vijfhoek' in Dutch and 'Pentagon' in French) will be implemented at the end of November to soften the mobility of various districts and prioritise pedestrians and cyclists over motorists in the centre.
Ten new traffic filters will be introduced, meaning drivers will no longer be able to use certain streets unless they applied for an exemption. The filters will work with a license plate recognition system, using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras that will make it possible to sort out motorists.
"Those without an exemption will first receive a warning letter. In a second step, if this is repeated, a municipal administrative sanction," the office of City of Brussels Councillor for Mobility Bart Dhondt told Le Soir. Of the ten filters planned, the vast majority will enter into service at the end of the month.
Different types of filters
Ambulances, police, firefighters, taxis or maintenance vehicles will have permission to pass everywhere. Subject to compliance with certain conditions, merchants, delivery people or certain professionals such as home nurses will also be able to pass.
Some filters will use a system with retractable bollards, such as in rue Haute (between Rue Joseph Stevens and Rue des Alexiens), Rue des Six Jetons (between this street and Place Fontainas), and Rue du Marais (between the car park of the Clinique Saint-Jean and the Boulevard du Jardin Botanique). Residents and garage owners can request an exemption.
Filters without bollards are also part of the changes, such as on Rue du Congrès (between Rue de l’Enseignement and Rue de la Presse) and Rue Royale (between Rue de Louvain and Rue de la Loi). Finally, in the Rue des Riches-Claires (school street) and the Place de la Vieille Halle aux Blés (pedestrian zone), the owners of a garage can also ask for an exemption.
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The ANPR camera system was originally scheduled to enter service in early October, but its implementation has been delayed. "This is the first time that we have implemented this system in the City of Brussels. There was no dedicated service yet and we want to be sure that everything works before activating it," said Dhondt. "We want to prevent people from being fined when they have an exemption."
The administrative penalties will go up to €58. In the meantime, local authorities are making significant communication efforts with traders, as the number of exemptions requested is still quite low, said Brussels city councillor for Employment.
"The timing has been pushed back a bit to give companies time to submit their request. A number of companies were unaware of these possibilities," he said. "I invite all companies reading this article to contact the administration and request this exemption."
