Brussels introduces penalties for hogging an electric car recharge point

Vehicles that remain connected to a public charging point in the Brussels region for more than six hours between 9.00 and 22.00 will be charged a penalty from this week.

As the number of electric vehicles in the capital continues to rise, a major problem is that many public charging points remain occupied for unnecessarily long periods. 

Network operator Sibelga announced back in January of this year that it intended to introduce a rotational tariff of €0.06 per minute to encourage behavioural change.

The Brussels government gave the green light following a proposal by Brussels state secretary for energy Audrey Henry (MR), hoping to improve the availability of charging points.

“Charging points are not parking spaces,” Henry said. 

“Anyone who hasn’t yet understood that will, from now on, have to pay if they remain parked there. Improving air quality also means ensuring that charging points remain available and that the vehicle fleet can become even greener.”

State secretary for the environment and climate Ans Persoons (Vooruit) has welcomed the measure.

“This concrete measure accelerates the climate transition, improves air quality and the health of Brussels’ residents, and makes Brussels a more pleasant city to live in,” Persoons said.