Documents · Flanders · Articles 33–36 · Equipment
Taxi in Flanders: what equipment must be present in the vehicle?
A licence, a T-X plate or a booking platform is not enough: every vehicle in service must be able to record, store and present the data in articles 34 and 35.
Does your app or taximeter really cover article 33, §1 — or only Chiron?
In short
Article 33, §1: onboard equipment or software to record, store and consult art. 34–35 data. §2 = separate obligation for intermediaries. Chiron ≠ vehicle equipment. Keep for 7 years. Get written confirmation from your municipality of what is registered in your file.
Many Flanders taxi operators think a licence, a T-X plate or a booking platform is enough to operate.
Flemish regulation also requires equipment or software used onboard the vehicle.
This obligation especially concerns straattaxi's — taxis that do not work exclusively from an official rank — see also street taxi vs rank taxi.
This article explains what articles 33 to 36 require, what must be presentable at a control, and how to check your situation with your municipality.
What article 33, §1 provides
Article 33, §1 of the Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering on individual paid passenger transport (consolidated text: decree of 9 June 2023) states:
“In elk voertuig dat in dienst is, is apparatuur aanwezig waarmee de gegevens, vermeld in artikel 34 en 35, beveiligd kunnen worden geregistreerd, opgeslagen en geraadpleegd.”
In English:
In every vehicle in service, equipment must be present so that the data referred to in articles 34 and 35 can be recorded, stored and consulted in a secure manner.
The obligation therefore targets every vehicle when it is in service.
The text does not name a brand, supplier or specific device. It mainly requires functions: record regulatory data; store them securely; consult them; present them at a control. Equipment may be a device or software, provided it truly meets the rules.
Is the vehicle obligation different from a platform’s?
Yes. Article 33 distinguishes two obligations.
Article 33, §1: equipment present in the vehicle
The first paragraph concerns the vehicle in service: equipment to record, store and consult the regulatory data must be available onboard.
Article 33, §2: data processed by an intermediary
“De gegevens die verwerkt worden door de tussenpersonen, worden beveiligd geregistreerd, opgeslagen en geraadpleegd.”
Data processed by a dispatch or intermediate platform must also be recorded, stored and consulted securely.
Article 33, §3: common security requirements
Paragraph 3 applies to §§1 and 2: integrity, origin, immutability and non-repudiation must be guaranteed via a reliable audit trail between the transport ticket and the service. Data must also be stored at an external location accessible to competent authorities.
The most direct reading: §1 = vehicle equipment; §2 = intermediary data; §3 = security rules for both. The text does not say §2 automatically replaces §1 when a driver works with an intermediary. An app provided by an intermediary might fulfil §1 if it truly records and presents all required data — verify with the provider and the municipality that issued the licence.
What data must the equipment manage?
Article 34 describes the dienststaat (duty sheet) — see duty-sheet data: start-of-service identity and details, date, vehicle, plate, driver, start time, mileage, location when not using a taximeter; during service breaks, trip counts, final prices, distances, places; end of service totals. The driver must generate a copy; data must be readable and identical to the originals. A demo screen alone is not enough.
The transport ticket is also mandatory
Article 35 requires a vervoerbewijs (transport ticket) at the end of the trip without the customer asking — operator, vehicle, plate, driver, sequential number, times, places, distance, fare, total, complaints. In principle it cannot be handwritten (except failure — see article 42).
What must the driver show at a control?
Article 36: the driver must present the secured data of articles 34 and 35 on request. Operator and intermediary keep them for seven years. See taxi document control.
Can a mobile app constitute mandatory equipment?
The official Flemish licence page refers to “apparatuur of software”. At application you must provide a model dienststaat showing compliance with articles 33 and 34 (the page may still cite the 2019 BVR; the consolidated text is the 9 June 2023 decree — arts. 33–36). See prepare models for the licence. Installing an app is not enough — functions must truly be covered.
I only work with a platform: am I concerned?
Receiving all trips via a platform does not create an explicit exception to §1. Ask which solution was declared to the municipality, whether it produces a compliant duty sheet and tickets, integrity, 7-year retention — and get written confirmation from the platform and the municipality.
Are Chiron and vehicle equipment the same thing?
No. Chiron receives trip messages. Article 33, §1 concerns onboard equipment and presenting dienststaat / vervoerbewijs. See Does Chiron replace the documents?. One app may do both — verify that it does.
Is there a risk of sanction?
The Flemish decree provides for sanctions. For general offences, art. 33, §2 of the decree may include a nominal fine between €26 and €10,000. Annex 10 also sets immediate collection amounts for equipment, dienststaat and vervoerbewijs. The goal is to verify your setup before a control — not to create fear.
How to check your situation with your municipality
Ask the taxi/mobility service which equipment or software is registered under arts. 33–34, whether your current app fulfils duty sheet and ticket duties, what you must present immediately in the vehicle, whether you need a model dienststaat or demo trip, and whether Chiron transmission alone is enough. Prefer a written answer.
How TaxiGer can help
TaxiGer provides an app for Flanders operators and drivers: onboard application, service start/end, digital duty sheet, driver and vehicle data, recorded trips, transport tickets, consultation at control, secure archiving, and Chiron connection. A specific plan is available from €30 per vehicle per month for operators who mainly need equipment, duty sheet and regulatory documents; Chiron transmission is available in the full plan. See TaxiGer features.
Request an equipment review
Not sure what equipment or software is in your file, or how to present your duty sheet at a control? TaxiGer can review your current setup, show the solution and help you prepare questions for your municipality.
Disclaimer
This article is an informative reading of Flemish regulation at the time of publication. It is not individual legal advice or an official decision on the compliance of specific equipment. Acceptance depends on real functions, use, recorded data and the assessment of competent authorities. Confirm with your municipality or the Department of Mobility and Public Works of the Flemish Region.
Next step
For the Centaurus or municipal file, prepare consistent dienststaat and vervoerbewijs models from the same test trip.
Prepare models for the licence →FAQ
Official sources
- Flemish Government Decree of 9 June 2023 — articles 33 to 36 (equipment, dienststaat, vervoerbewijs, control)
- Flemish Decree of 29 March 2019 — article 33: criminal sanctions
- Vlaanderen.be — Vergunning voor taxidiensten (apparatuur of software, model dienststaat / vervoerbewijs)
- Vlaanderen.be — Rittendatabank Chiron
- Annex 10 / Boetetabel — indicative amounts (equipment, documents)
Read more
This article is for information only. For regulatory decisions, consult official Flemish sources or your legal adviser.