Brussels is seeking to drastically improve road security in the region, with officials on Wednesday unveiling a plan to bring the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road down to zero by 2030.
"Road security has never been a more pressing topic in Brussels," regional mobility and public works minister, Elke Van den Brandt said.
Actions by community members in the past two years had brought attention to the need to work for improved road security in Brussels, Van den Brandt said, adding that road security would become the "number one priority."
In 2018, there were 4,532 victims of road accidents in Brussels, out of which 21 were fatal and 177 were seriously injured, according to figures by Brussels Mobility.
The plan by mobility authorities also follows a series of high-profile road accidents and deaths which sparked concern and outrage among residents, with some even staging protests to demand action from authorities.
Amid the growing pressure from citizens, regional authorities approved a plan to scale the generalised speed limit in Brussels down to 30 kilometres per hour.
Brussels Mobility said that, throughout the past action, which ran from 2011 to 2020, a number of measures had already been taken to improve the road network, including road works and the installation of cameras to enforce regulations.
The new 2021-2030 plan, unveiled at a meeting attended by law enforcement officers, mobility officials and citizen associations, will double down on past achievements to improve safety in "accident-heavy zones."
In order to attain the 2030 road security goals, Brussels Mobility said that, besides speed enforcement, special focus would be given to safe pedestrian crossings as well as to improving the enforcement of safety regulations concerning motorised two-wheelers or driving under the influence.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
