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Legislators in the Belgian capital Brussels just announced that public transportation and bike-sharing systems will be free for use on all days on which air pollution exceeds quality limitations set by the European Union.
In addition to free publich transportation, city authorities are also planning to banning the use of wood stoves and reduce automotive speed limits by one third.
The proposal comes just a few days after a number of German cities announced to make public transportation free year-round, and was introduced following two days of surpassing the average of 51-70 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter of air.
Pascal Smet, Brussels’ mobility minister, told The Guardian: “The idea is not to ban cars from the city, but to find a new balance.” The Belgian city council expects the new initiatve to go into full effect by this summer, giving citizens fresh and clean air to enjoy when outside.
Brussels is not stopping there however. The city will also introduce electrified public buses and create a number of new low carbon emmision zones, all in an effort to meet EU air quality standards set to protect citizens.
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