The Government of Wallonia has dropped its proposal to implement a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour on the region's motorways and ring roads. The move was part of its plans for the revised air-climate-energy-plan (PACE), which was adopted by the government on Thursday.
Walloon Minister of Mobility, Phillipe Henry, said that the proposed speed limit had been dropped in order to preserve the “dynamic management” of road speeds. “We have not retained a general reduction in speed on motorways or ring roads,” the minister said. “There were favourable opinions, others very unfavourable. We adapted.”
First proposed as a part of a “revised” PACE in September, the speed limit initially raised eyebrows from public and the parliamentary opposition. The move was framed as an attempt to protect the environment and prevent traffic accidents.
As part of the PACE plan, the Walloon Government wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road traffic by 55% by 2030. Instead of the fixed speed limit, the region will now use “dynamic speed management, with fixed speed variables depending on the sections and times,” the minister clarified.
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Under the approved traffic plan, the Walloon government, in cooperation with the municipalities, will roll out “peaceful zones” in urban areas, such as more pedestrian and 30km/h zones. The region will also “promote” the reduction of speed from 90 to 70 km/h on other roads.
The adapted road traffic plans are one of many measures from PACE which Wallonia will integrate into the national energy-climate plan (PNEC) at a Federal level, as part of Belgium’s European commitments. PACE is currently undergoing stakeholder consultations.
