The Guardian: "Belgium has the worst traffic in Europe”

Suggestions which work in other cities: (1)Belgium needs to paint a grid at every major intersection (like in London and the UK) so no possibility of blocking intersections or you are fined based on CCTV at all the intersections, (2)congestion charge for inner city, (3)more frequent buses and metros at all hours of the day, (4)company cars only for the highest level of employee (now it seems like everyone has a company car), and (5)install "peage" or vignettes for all traffic from external countries (copy Switzerland, France, Italy…..). What is so difficult about these suggestions?

Salsadancer has it all right. Plus invest heavily in cycling infrastructure (about €20/head/year), and that will yield huge returns in savings (about €300-500 million/year - see Pro-Velo study about that). And also get the train system up to scratch (so many stations with 1 or 2 trains per hour within Brussels !) and get the Regional train system working (RER). The proposed closure of the Central Boulevards is also a good start, just as the scrapping of the hideous Reyers viaduct is - too much has been done for cars, it's time to reverse...

Yes! Box junctions! Death to priorité à droite! Stop pretending corners are a death trap! Lots of other stuff!

I accept that the company car is a part of the problem, but I also think the company car is demonised by the jealous and is not nearly as much of an issue as some would suggest. I don't think people join traffic jams because they have a company car. If you have to drive to work then you are part of the problem, company car or not.

Of course, if the taxes, on both employee and employer, were not so damned punitive on anything approaching a descent salary then companies would not be paying people with cars in the first place.

One problem is simply poor driving. Of course, if you have come here from Italy then you might not see a problem with Italian style accident statistics. Every single day entirely preventable accidents cause huge congestion. Leaving junctions open (box junctions) is complete mystery to the Belgian as is the safe use of roundabouts.

Priority to the right is insane. I had somebody giving me the argument that he would never get out of side roads if it were not for priority to the right and he could not explain how other countries actually managed without it. It's like trying to explain colour to a blind man.

Removal of priority to the right would reduce the accident rates, and so the congestion overnight. Constantly having to stop, or nearly so on a main road is ridiculous! As to the ring and surrounding severely congested motorways, I am absolutely certain that these roads would be faster and smoother for all if the speed limit was reduced to something like 80 KPH. It's proven fact that highly congested motorways are faster with a lower limit, and accidents are reduced as well.

Of course, the simple and popular "solution" will be to rain taxes down on the company cars, but then even less reason for business to remain here. Personally, I would have been very happy to have been paid with money, but at my level it's mostly confiscated.

Well, not any more it's not.

An additional thought is it might help if people could actually move nearer to their job. As it currently stands, many people will absolutely not move house because of the extraordinary costs of doing so. Building a house near to mum and NEVER EVER moving is not compatible with the modern world. The job for life (unless you work for the EU) is history and it's time the Belgian housing market caught up. As it stands people simply refuse to take work that is far from their house and live on generous benefits, or they become part of the traffic problem. Back to those flaming taxes again.

Yes, we all have very good options. I hope someone "important" reads our suggestions. It is not neuroscience but common sense. I see an accident every single day in Brussels (not serious accidents but fender benders usually from front/behind). I NEVER have seen so many accidents in other large cities (Paris, London, NYC). Brussels MUST install CCTV at all major intersections and impose fines on those who run the red lights (the left hand turns on General Jacques--cars race through the red lights and the left hand turn just so they can get ahead faster but no fines are ever issued). The police do nothing but stand around with arms crossed, chatting, and smoking cigarettes. Let CCTV do the work and allow the police to go after criminals, not traffic offendors. What a waste of time and money.

it's THE TRUCKS...NOT the cars that are the PROBLEM

The Police in Belgium are WORTHLESS..they do NOTHING. There needs to be POLICE PATROLS of all roads and highways. The ONLY time the police do ANYTHING is after a traffic accident.

I once watched some Morrocans celebrate their weddings by spinning their cars in circles in the middle of downtown Brussels. The smoked their wheels and held up traffic for about 15-20 minutes with this insane display of Morrocan Flags and burningi tires. The police showed up, got out of their cars, and drew, not their guns....but their cellphones....and proceeded to take cellphone pictures of the license plates of the morrocan guys as they flipped off and laughed at the police. The police did NOTHING...they just stood their and waited for these guys to stop...and to drive away. Absolutely the most unreal thing I hav
e ever seen.