Belgium holds car-free day — residents switch to bikes and horse carriages
Belgium held its annual car-free day on Sunday as part of European Mobility Week, closing streets to traffic in Brussels and, for the first time, in more than twenty Walloon municipalities. Latvia will mark a similar day on September 22.
Belgium observed its annual "Car-Free Day" on Sunday, encouraging residents to get around without a car — many opted for bicycles, scooters, or even horse-drawn carriages.
Restrictions in Brussels
According to Brussels Mobility, motor vehicle traffic was banned on roads across the Brussels region from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Only public transport, taxis, tourist buses, emergency and utility services, diplomats, and people with disabilities were permitted to drive. The maximum speed limit across the region was also reduced to 30 kilometers per hour for the day.
Those who still needed to reach the capital by car were advised to use park-and-ride facilities. Public transport ran free of charge and was more visible on the streets than on a typical Sunday.
Motorized traffic was restricted in all 19 Brussels municipalities, making the capital region the largest car-free zone in Europe for the day.
Event expands to the regions
This year, more than twenty Walloon municipalities joined a synchronized car-free event for the first time. Local authorities closed off town centers and organized workshops, street markets, and other activities to promote more environmentally friendly ways of getting around. According to mobility organization Mobiel 21, priority was also given to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in other Belgian cities on the same day.
The event is part of European Mobility Week, running this year from September 16 to 22, which encourages residents to try alternatives to driving. The initiative takes place in cities across Europe, including Latvia, where an international car-free day will be marked on Tuesday, September 22.
