Subsidies for investments in truck safety and sustainability
The government of Flanders is launching subsidies for transport companies that invest in on-board safety features and lorries that run on sustainable fuels
Retroactive support
Investments in, for instance, blind spot detectors, cameras, alcohol locks, systems blocking cell phones and automatic braking systems will qualify. The government has allocated an annual budget of €36.4 million to the initiative, and each company is limited to a maximum of €100,000 over a three-year period.
The system will come into force next year but will apply retroactively apply to investments made back to 1 January 2017.
Investments in eco-friendly vehicles will also be rewarded, including the purchase of vehicle models that run on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and hybrid models. These models have a much smaller impact on the environment than trucks that run on diesel.
Flemish economy minister Philippe Muyters said that support for these types of trucks will be the maximum amount allowed by the European Union. That means support of 40 to 45% of the costs for large companies and 50 to 55% for SMEs.
For both measures, companies can turn to the Flemish government’s innovation and entrepreneurship agency (Vlaio).
