Search form

menu menu

Brussels hopes to generate around €4 million through parking fees and fines

Illustration picture shows the start of the replacement of parking meters and new control mechanisms in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean - Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, Brussels, Wednesday 27 January 2021. (BELGA PHOTO OPHELIE DELAROUZEE)
06:54 26/04/2022

Brussels city council's new 2022 budget will include several measures to boost its coffers, including raising more money from parking meters, reports Bruzz.

As previously revealed by local media, the city’s finances continue to be in the red with a current deficit of almost €4.8 million. But as part of the announcement due next week, it's hoping to significantly reduce this figure by raising funds through, among other things, parking fines.

The City of Brussels has already managed to cut the deficit over the past 10 years, which amounted to more than €12 million in 2012, despite the financial hits taken during the coronavirus pandemic and the costs incurred from building new headquarters for city services. It has already announced measures to further reduce the deficit, such as increasing road tax and office tax.

Now, the city will show that it expects to collect an additional €4 million from parking meters. The city’s new parking plan includes the extension of payment hours, an increase in parking rates and the removal of free parking zones. Additionally, controls on parking have increased with new ‘scanning cars’ being purchased to patrol the streets. Through these combined efforts, the city hopes to earn significant sums.

Members of the opposition Workers Party, however, have voiced their concern by claiming that the council is trying to get the citizens of Brussels to foot the bill. They also claim that the measure is illogical, as on the one hand, the city expects much larger revenues from parking fees and fines while at the same time it wants to reduce the number of cars that park on public roads.

"If the latter number drops, the council will have to contend with a hole in the budget," a spokesperson for the Workers Party said.

Written by Nick Amies

Comments

brussels_viking

In the past a lot of cars came to town - and payed for the road infrastructure etc. through taxes and fees.
Now that the cars are pushed out of the town it would seem logical, that the city would need to find other sources of finances, not increase the taxes on cars even further on the remaining cars. Maybe tax the cyclists, who now use the roads instead of the cars. Would only be fair ;-)

Apr 26, 2022 11:53
Anon3

Making Brussels even more unattractive for cars could end up killing off even more Brussels businesses. And when businesses close down, even more revenue (think taxes) will be lost.

Apr 26, 2022 12:54
mikeparr

Great reasons to not go into Bx. Pubic transport outside of business hours is not fit for purpose (if you want to see fit for purpose - look to Vienna) - all in all yet more reasons to abandon the city. Shopping? I can get most things on the Internet. It is good to see that once again, the politicos prove themselves to be total imbeciles.

Apr 27, 2022 11:31