The average number of non-authorised vehicles driving in Brussels' Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has seen a drop since tighter regulations introduced this year were paired up with stricter enforcement.
In June, the average number of fines issued to non-compliant vehicles was of 400 per day, down from 600 daily fines registered in January, according to BX1.
New rules introduced in April saw additional types of heavily polluting cars banned from entering the LEZ, created in 2018 and which comprises all municipalities of the Capital-Brussels Region, with the exception of the outer ring.
This year authorities also doubled down on enforcement, carrying out inspections and issuing fines to drivers found to be in violation of the ban, a step up from a previous approach which saw offending drivers receive a warning.
"The figures show that the LEZ works — there are fewer and fewer vehicles in violation," Sarah Hollander, head of the LEZ at Bruxelles Environnement, told Bruzz.
In May, environmental authorities said the LEZ was already yielding its first results, citing an improvement in air quality levels.
The number of cars banned from entering the LEZ reached 19,000 this year, and an additional tightening of the rules in 2020 will see Euro Norm 3 diesel cars added into the list of banned vehicles.
If car owners fail to adapt to the evolving regulations, theoretical projections say that up to 65,000 cars could be banned from the LEZ by 2020.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
