Figures from the Brussels environment department show that so far this year 18,640 drivers were fined for taking a too polluting vehicle into the capital’s LEZ, the low emission zone. The figure is up on the year. Rules are set to become even stricter on 1 January 2025.
Brussels introduced stricter rules on 1 January. Diesel cars with a Euronorm of 4 or lower are no longer allowed into the zone. Petrol cars with Euronorm 1 or lower are banned too. Till the end of June drivers with diesel vehicles with Euronorm 4 were issued with a warning instead of a fine. During the first six months of the year over 63,000 warnings were issued.
Most of the drivers fined were travelling in a Euronorm 4 vehicle with a diesel engine. Drivers can only be fined once a quarter.
Under certain conditions drivers can request a dispensation allowing them to drive in the LEZ with a more polluting vehicle. This applies automatically to Oldtimers with an O numberplate. 4,000 dispensations were requested but only 2,500 were awarded.
Stricter rules are being introduced on 1 January 2025 when petrol cars with Euronorm 2 and diesel vehicles with Euronorm 5 will be banned.
Find out the boundaries of the LEZ by clicking here .