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Traffic jams cost Belgian economy €5 billion a year
The loss of time and the extra fuel consumption and polluting emissions caused by traffic jams in Belgium are estimated to have cost more than €5 billion in 2023, according to new figures.
The figure is a 4% increase over 2022, according to data from the Belgian Mobility Dashboard created by the Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) and Febiac, the federation of the automotive sector.
FEB and Febiac calculate the economic costs generated by congestion on the basis of lost time, additional fuel consumption and the cost of additional vehicle emissions, which they then convert into monetary values.
October and November saw the heaviest costs last year, at €552 million and €513 million respectively.
Conversely, the costs associated with congestion on Belgian roads were lowest in July, costing €271 million.
The congestion comes mainly in the north of Belgium, where traffic was at an all-time high last year.
November was a particularly bad month in this respect, according to the analysis.
Comments
Fine. These are the facts getting worse from year to year. And what do the different governments about it? Probably nothing. Or nothing worth mentioning…
It is not that they don't do anything worth mentioning. It is that what they do is best not mentioned, as it is making the situation worse. Closing lanes, removing parking, one-way loop systems etc. All for the citizens, just not the ones who drive and who use their democratic right to drive rather than use decrepit public transport.