New Anderlecht park-and-ride has 1,350 free spaces

Brussels' biggest park-and-ride has opened, with the aim of encouraging up to 1,350 drivers to leave their cars on the outskirts of the city and take public transport instead.

The six-storey car park at Ceria, next to the Brussels ring exit for Ikea Anderlecht, is aimed primarily at drivers heading into the capital from the south and west from the E19 and E429.

It is free to use until the end of this year - although prior registration is required. From 2020, an annual subscription will cost €60 and a day ticket €1.50.

The €14 million facility was inaugurated on Monday and includes spaces for electric cars and 300 bicycles. Metro line 5 takes users into the city centre in about 15 minutes.

With the opening of the Ceria car park, the number of park-and-ride spaces in Brussels has doubled to 2,700. Others include Erasme, Uccle-Stalle, Delta, Hermann-Debroux, Roodebeek and Kraainem.

The Brussels region wants 10,000 park-and-ride spaces in the long term. Plans are already under way to build 1,500 places at Esplanade (Heysel) and to expand the Stalle and Kraainem facilities.

Photo: Jacques Collet/Belga