€350 fines for old diesel cars in Brussels from 1 October

Owners of old polluting diesel vehicles will start being fined €350 if they drive anywhere within the Brussels region from today (1 October).

Brussels' low emissions zone came into force in January, but for the first nine months drivers were only issued with warnings.

The ban applies to Euro 1 diesel vehicles registered before 1997. There are 2,340 of these still in circulation in the Brussels region.

Over the summer, number plate recognition cameras detected up to 330 diesel cars per day which should not have been on the roads.

Drivers have the right to use a banned vehicle for up to eight days a year, on payment of a €35-a-day tax. Exemptions apply for priority vehicles, including those providing transport for the elderly or disabled.

From January, the low emissions zone will be extended to Euro 2 diesel and Euro 1 petrol vehicles - affecting 19,000 drivers or about 4% of all the vehicles on the region's roads. The ban will be extended further between then and 2025.

You can check if your car or van is affected by entering its registration number at www.lez.brussels