Quarter of Brussels drivers willing to ditch their car
More than a quarter (27%) of Brussels drivers say they are willing to ditch their car, according to a study conducted by Brussels Mobility. The agency surveyed 1,900 Brussels drivers in order to gain insights into making alternatives to the car more
More than a quarter (27%) of Brussels drivers say they are willing to ditch their car, according to a study conducted by Brussels Mobility.
The agency surveyed 1,900 Brussels drivers in order to gain insights into making alternatives to the car more attractive.
The region’s Good Move mobility plan aims to cut back on overall car traffic, which is a major contributor to air pollution and the cause of the Belgian capital’s traffic woes. Brussels consistently ranks among the worst European capitals for both traffic jams and air quality.
“This comprehensive study gives us a good insight into the travel habits of Brussels motorists and how we can make alternatives to the car more attractive,” said mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen).
“It’s important that the administration remains in constant dialogue with the municipalities, transport companies and associations. Every day, together, we make Brussels a better place to live, play, breathe and move around more smoothly.”
Among households with one vehicle, 27% said that it would be conceivable for them to live without a car, with most of these respondents living in the inner suburbs.
The finding came as a surprise to MAUTO, an association that defends the rights of motorists and motorcyclists. It conducted a similar survey two years ago among a sample of more than 1,500 Brussels residents and only 8.6% of those questioned thought it possible to do without their car.
Brussels motorists use the car for an average of 3.9 trips per week, although there are big differences between residents: 37% said they needed to use the car for less than one trip per week; 26% between one and four trips and 37% for more than four trips.
Respondents estimated that about a third of the car trips that they made could be accomplished relatively easily by other modes of transport.
The survey also examined the parking habits of Brussels residents. Lore than half (54%) park their car daily in a street close to their home, and 44% of those who park their car near their home at least a few times a month say they have "some difficulty" finding a parking space. Another 20% of respondents said they have "a lot of difficulty", especially in and around the city centre.
The survey also found that 29% of Brussels residents who have a private parking space or garage still often park their car on the street. More than a third (36%) of them do so mainly because they use their garage as a laundry room or storage space, while 22% do so mainly because they find it difficult to drive their car into the garage.
But the Touring motorists' association told RTBF that proposed alternatives to cars are still lacking. It said a successful transition depends on a number of key conditions, including a reliable, affordable and efficient public transport offer, improved interconnections and appropriate infrastructure.
It also said that soft mobility - bicycles, scooters and pedestrians -and intermodality must be developed without penalising motorists who depend on their car for certain specific journeys.
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