Millions of euros lost in traffic jams

27 January 2004

BRUSSELS – The Belgian economy lost EUR 114 million in 2002 because people were caught in traffic jams instead of working, according to a study released on Tuesday.

The report was compiled by Transport and Mobility (T&M), a group of traffic experts based at the University of Leuven in Flanders.

T&M said that Belgian drivers had lost a total of 9 million working hours sitting in highway snarl-ups during 2002.

The group also found that the country’s car lovers drove a total of 26.2 billion kilometres on Belgium’s motorway network over the same period.

T&M found that the most congested spot in the whole country was Strombeek-Bever, on the Brussels ring road to the north of the capital.

Seven other of the county’s congestion hot-spots were also on the infamous Brussels ring.

Subject: Belgian news