Nearly a hundred people assembled on the Place Liedts at Schaerbeek at 6pm on Saturday, to express their sadness and anger about another fatal accident involving a pedestrian and a lorry. The accident happened on Friday morning.
This demonstration was organised by the 103/0 collective. The participants brought candles and white roses. The collective members wore fluorescent coloured jackets.
The collective says the Square is known as one of the more dangerous roundabouts in Brussels. In November 2017, journalist Stéphanie Verbraekel was killed during an accident at Haecht. Three more people were killed in two hit and run accidents in the months that followed. In reaction to this, more than 3,000 Schaerbeek residents signed the 103/0 petition for better road safety.
The demonstration was originally organised to show support for the victim’s family, but already included road safety demands. The collective is calling for a change in motorist’s way of thinking, and for all road users to show more respect for others. They want the commune to put its mobility plan into effect, which includes numerous 30km/h zones, more infrastructure, such as speed bumps, and police to put more manpower into making sure traffic rules are respected.
As for Friday’s accident, collective spokeswoman Elise Blondel is worried about the presence of lorries in the town. “The lorry driver didn’t drive off, but letting lorries drive through the town is problematic. They are slower to stop and higher, so they don’t see pedestrians as easily. That’s what happened with this accident. The driver didn’t see the pedestrian.”
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The Brussels Times
