Car-transfer parks around Brussels to become free in bid to boost use

Park & Ride zones around Brussels have met with little success, despite their hefty price tag, reports Bruzz

There are seven such car parks around the Brussels region and a large proportion of their parking spaces frequently remain empty. The P+R (park and ride) Ceria Coovi in Anderlecht cost €14 million but was only used at 2.5% of its capacity last year. 

In an effort to encourage more users, the car-transfer parks will be made completely free for commuters and the cost of a season pass for CycloParking will decrease by three quarters, from €60 to €15.

“By making the P+R free, we want to encourage our commuters and visitors to Brussels to park at the entrance to the city and use our efficient public transport,” said mobility minister Elke Van den Brandt.

“Additionally, the new rates for bicycle parking will ensure that more Brussels residents and visitors opt for a bicycle. These are two steps forward that will make our region more accessible and more attractive for its visitors and make life more pleasant for its inhabitants.”

Season passes for the car park currently cost €60 a year, plus €1.50 per day of use. The rate for occasional visitors who use public transport will also drop from €3 to €0 per day if they scan their ticket at the pay machine in the car park before leaving.

The other tariffs remain unchanged: the first quarter of an hour is free, plus €1 per hour with a maximum of €15 euros for 24 hours and a fixed tariff of €3 between 19.00 and 1.00.

Commuters who purchase a P+R pass in the period between the announcement of the new rates and their implementation will receive a refund for the pass, but this does not extend to the €1.50/day or €3 for occasional users.

In addition to the CycloParking pass discount from €60 to €15 for secured bicycle parking, spots for cargo bikes will drop from €120 to €30 per year.

Cyclists who applied for a parking space between 1 August 2022 and the effective start date of the change (sometime in September) will be fully reimbursed for the difference.

Photo: Coovi parking, Anderlecht (c) Willemin