Helmet requirement for fast e-scooters and Pension Line no longer free
Starting today, September 1, a few rules that affect your daily life are changing in Belgium. Two of them are concrete enough to take action on today: the helmet requirement for faster electric scooters and the end of the toll-free number for the Pension Line.
The helmet requirement does not apply to every scooter. The deciding factor is not how fast you are riding, but the maximum speed the scooter can reach according to its design. The royal decree concerns a motorized transport device whose design-determined maximum speed is higher than 20 kilometers per hour. In Belgium, only scooters that reach a maximum of 25 kilometers per hour are permitted, so in practice, the new requirement affects scooters with a design speed between 20 and 25 kilometers per hour. For shared scooters, a helmet is not mandatory when the operator has limited the speed to 20 kilometers per hour; according to the competent federal public service, this is usually already the case and that limit is even included in the operating permit. So, check the manual or the type plate of your own scooter to see what the design speed is. The traffic institute regrets that the requirement does not apply to all scooters, because a fall at 18 kilometers per hour can also cause serious head injuries.
The second change will cost money if you are unaware of it. The toll-free number 1765 for the Pension Line is disappearing and is being replaced by the standard number 02 225 17 65. Anyone calling from abroad should use +32 2 225 17 65. The opening hours remain the same: Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. For most people, little will change, as calls to a landline number with the 02 area code are usually included in their subscription; those who do not have such a subscription will pay the rate of a local call. If you are in the queue, you can leave a message and ask to be called back for free. Consulting your pension file remains free via mypension.be.
In addition, the vehicle inspection system is being reformed, meaning you will have to go less often with certain cars, and in education, the reformed minimum targets are starting and there are fewer study days. Check two things today: the design speed of your scooter, and whether you still have the old pension number saved in your phone. Anyone who calls 1765 after today will receive a message referring them to the new number.