Number of cars decreases for the first time since WWII
There are fewer cars on the road in Belgium, and that is the first time since WWII. An effect of the lockdown? Or has the car passed its peak?
On 1 August, there were 5,888,589 passenger cars on the road in Belgium. That is exactly 621 fewer than the year before, or a decrease of 0.01 percent. This was calculated by Statbel.
Although the decrease is very small, it is remarkable. It is the first time since the Second World War that the number of passenger cars in our country has declined. “At one time, the number of cars on our roads increased exponentially,” says Wendy Schelfaut. “Look at the 1960s or 1970s. In recent years, it had been a steady increase of about 1.3 percent per year. The fact that there is now a decrease is therefore remarkable.”
Number of passenger cars in Belgium
Evolution since 1930
Lockdown or car fatigue?
For Statbel, it is difficult to determine the exact cause. “Are people less inclined to buy a car than before?” wonders Wendy Schelfaut. “Have we reached the peak, and has the shift towards a gradual decline begun? Or is this the effect of the coronavirus lockdown, during which some factories were shut down for a time and production lines were closed? Fewer cars were delivered here, and if you don’t have the car you ordered, you obviously can’t drive it.” She believes that this question can only be answered next year, when it becomes clear whether the trend continues or not.
At the car federation Febiac, they are convinced: this is the result of the pandemic. “The Belgian car market is a replacement market,” says spokesperson Joost Kaesemans. Febiac figures even indicate a growth of usually less than 1 percent per year. “That figure is now negative because there are a few hundred fewer cars, as the market was at a standstill for about a month and a half.”
According to Kaesemans, the figures at the end of this year will provide more clarity. “Right now, we are still seeing that ‘blip’ caused by the coronavirus standstill.”
The Belgian car fleet by type of propulsion
Evolution over the past five years
Major growth is over
Still, at Febiac they have no illusions: the years of strong growth in our car fleet are long gone. But has the decline now begun? “That will depend on the success of car-sharing projects, and on how people will work and live,” he says.
Working from home, for example, could have an impact on the car fleet in our country. If households reorganise their lives and work in the aftermath of the pandemic, “you can easily imagine them going from two cars to one,” says Joost Kaesemans.
The car federation is not opposed to such a scenario. It supports initiatives such as shared cars and higher-quality public transport, even if these lead to a smaller car fleet. “Initiatives are being taken to slow down the car market,” they say. “These are necessary to avoid even more traffic problems than we already have today.”
More trips by bike
At Cyclobility bike leasing , we have not been standing still since the lockdown. More and more companies are encouraging their employees to commute by bike. To motivate staff, many companies are adopting a bike leasing plan. This can be an extra incentive for employees and is budget-neutral for the employer. Perhaps this is also a consequence of the declining car sales? Would you, as a company, also like to offer bike leasing to your employees? Contact Cyclobility via this form.
Source: LEMMENS Karsten, Number of cars decreases for the first time since WWII. De Standaard, 14/09/2020.
