- Daily & Weekly newsletters
- Buy & download The Bulletin
- Comment on our articles
Related articles
Recent
Popular
Angry truckers block Belgian motorways to protest kilometre tax
The launch of the new kilometre tax across Belgium on 1 April has met with protests by truck drivers who resorted to blocking motorway exits and interchanges. This morning a group of truckers took over three lanes of the busy E40 motorway from Brussels in the direction of Ghent, creating major traffic jams, writes Het Nieuwsblad. The kilometre tax implemented in all regions of Belgium from 1 April applies to heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
The group of five to ten lorries gathered on the E40 on Wednesday morning around 8.30 and came to a complete stop before riding further at an extremely slow pace. "The traffic could not get past the trucks," said the Flemish Traffic Centre. "At 9.00 the traffic jam was already about 8km long, between the Brussels Ring and Aalst.”
In the other direction there were no actions, but a gapers' block delayed motorists by more than 45 minutes.
By 9.30 this morning the trucks had reached Affligem, where vehicles were finally able to pass in the left lane. Around 10.00, the start of the traffic jam had shifted from the Brussels Ring to Groot-Bijgaarden.
Truckers across Belgium have been protesting for five days against the introduction of road pricing, especially in Wallonia where there have been numerous blockades since Friday.
Comments
This ticks me off. Trucks use the autoroutes in France, Italy, and Switzerland and pay and they do not block the roads. Why should all these heavy trucks constantly use our autoroutes on their way to other countries (mostly) and it is up to the Belgian citizen to pay for not only the maintenance but the disruption of traffic every single day because of the hundreds/thousands of trucks. They should have been fined for disrupting our country's roadwork, whomever they are. Tolls should be imposed on ALL traffic and, guess what, cars and trucks would still use the same routes. Those who use the autoroutes should pay for them so they can be properly maintained. You cross the border into France and you see how bad our roads are.
So where were the police?
I thought trucks weren't allowed in the third lane!
Salsadancer.........Not only do my driving taxes pay for the roads, they pay for more than that. Why do you think I need to pay again? As to people blocking the roads, they should be arrested and heavily fined. It really is about time certain countries in Europe grew up and stopped allowing this blackmail we face each and every year. Belgium and France being the two worse offenders. Start charging the unions and the union members for the cost of their disruption. It's got NOTHING to do with withdrawing their labour and everything to do with holding the country to ransom.
As usual the police do nothing because they are 'protesting' and everyone suffers. Pathetic.