Brussels plans to begin monthly car-free day from 2023 to reduce oil dependency

A monthly car-free day from 2023 is being negotiated within the Brussels government to reduce dependence on oil, as per reports. Mobility Minister Elke Van Den Brandt has made a suggestion that the days are on Sundays in the Brussels-Capital Region.

The cost of oil is has spiked as buyers have done their best to evade purchasing from Russia, who is the second-largest exporter across the world. The price increase comes just as restrictions lift, and people travel more after the coronavirus epidemic for two years.

The move has yet to seek approval by President of the Brussels-Capital Region Rudi Vervoort. And even if Vervoort greenlights the proposal, the 19 mayors of Brussels would still need to be asked to favour the step, as traffic closures would be handled at a municipal level.

Meanwhile, legislators in Brussels had looked for a way to fight air pollution since 2019, when the Brussels Parliament first gave approval to a resolution to implement car-free days.

Member States are committed to lowering down emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels at the EU level. Still, the war in Ukraine may be the catalyst for change in Brussels.