Bertem adds 5 speed cameras, Mayor Vander Elst oversees safety

Bertem (Brusels Morning Newspaper) – Bertem will add 5 speed cameras, including one on Dorpstraat, next week. Mayor Vander Elst says cameras aim to reduce speeding and improve safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

As VRT News reported, the municipality of Bertem, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, will add more speed cameras in the coming years to improve road safety. Currently, there are 2 cameras, 1 on Bosstraat and another on Dorpstraat in the Leefdaal area. The cameras monitor traffic and help prevent speeding on busy streets. 

What is Bertem’s plan for new speed cameras and road safety?

A 3rd camera will be installed next week on Dorpstraat, between Boskee and Neerijse Steenweg, where the speed limit is 30 km/h. The new camera can track up to 32 vehicles at the same time in both directions. Authorities say it will help enforce speed limits and make streets safer for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

“There’s a lot of traffic at that location, including people from other municipalities who use that road to get to the E40,”

says Mayor Vander Elst.

“Measurements show that, on average, people drive faster than the speed limit. Streets are meant for driving, of course, but we do want drivers to adhere to the speed limit so children can get to school as safely as possible.”

Bertem’s traffic safety plan includes more than 1 new speed camera. The municipality will install 4 additional cameras over the coming years. Some will be on the access roads from Korbeek-Dille and Everberg, which the mayor said are

“wide concrete roads where drivers often press the accelerator too hard.” 

The municipality is covering the full cost of installation, inspection, and maintenance of the cameras. Money collected from fines will go into the municipal fine fund, which supports local traffic safety projects and other initiatives. 

“People often think we need the money, but for us, it’s mainly about safety,”

Mayor said.

A similar project took place in Leuven in 2021. The city installed extra speed cameras on busy streets and near schools. The goal was to reduce speeding and make roads safer for pedestrians. The municipality paid for installation and maintenance, and fines went to local traffic safety projects. Officials said the cameras helped lower speeds and encouraged drivers to follow the rules.