Flemings never moved by bike more often, but the car remains dominant
© Jimmy Kets
Flemish people never moved by bike more often, yet the car remained the most used means of transport for movements to work in 2024. Almost two thirds (64 percent) of the professional-active population used the car as the main transport for commuting, according to the seventh study into the movement behavior in Flanders of the Flemish government.
In more than two in ten of the commuting (22 percent), the bicycle was used as the main transport last year. According to the study, this increase is mainly due to the use of electric bicycles. Bicycle use (bicycle, electric bicycle and speedpedelec) is higher during the working week (20 percent) than during the weekend (18.5 percent). In both cases that is the highest share ever measured.
The bike traditionally also does better when moving to and from school: last year good for a share of 36.2 percent. In general, the share of cyclists is the largest among the 13 to 17-year-olds (38 percent) and the lowest among the 25 to 34 year olds (14 percent).
Of the professional-active population, 5.9 percent opted for the main transport means for commuting. A small group (4 percent) goes on foot and just over 2 percent opts for bus, tram or metro. The use of public transport for commuting has fallen further to 8.2 percent in recent years.
The research shows that the Fleming (from the age of 6) moves 2.6 times on an average day, traveling 29.3 kilometers and has been in traffic for 73 minutes. On an average day, almost half (46.9 percent) of the journeys are sustainable. That share is falling towards the previous study (2021-2022), but is higher than for the Coronapandemie. Travel on foot, with the (electric) bicycle, taxi, step, public transport or as an adult car passenger are sustainable according to the Department of Mobility and Public Works.
