Ghent (The Brussels Morning Newspaper):The police will patrol Ghent’s waterways from July 19-28 to ensure safe and efficient navigation especially for smaller less experienced boats that can disrupt traffic flow. They will enforce rules against stopping or parking in narrow areas to prevent jams.
The police in East Flanders will patrol the Ghent waterways every day from July 19 to July 28 even during late hours. They want to make sure the traffic on the busy waterways flows smoothly. With more boats using the routes they need to be extra careful to keep navigation safe and organized. The police presence is meant to avoid traffic jams and accidents by watching over the different types of boats making the waterways safer and more efficient.
What measures are being taken to ensure safe and efficient navigation on Ghent’s waterways during the Ghent festivities?
Buysse says that tourist boats and pleasure craft are usually not a big issue on the Ghent waterways. They are operated by experienced people who follow set paths making navigation easy. The real problems come from smaller boats like canoes, kayaks and paddleboards. These smaller boats especially during busy times can create chaos. The people using them often don’t have enough experience to navigate well in crowded areas causing disruptions and safety risks. When people who aren’t very experienced operate small boats it can cause problems. The lack of knowledge can disrupt others and create chaos and danger. Especially when the waterways are crowded having many inexperienced users in canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards can make accidents more likely and make it harder for everyone to enjoy the water.
At Koren- en Graslei the waterway gets narrower because of floating pontoons set up for the Polé Polé festival. It has been said that boats must keep moving and not stop or park because of the limited space. To prevent traffic jams and keep the waterway flowing well boats need to keep moving constantly in the narrow passage. In that area parking boats is not allowed to avoid traffic jams because the space is small and lots of boats are moving. Only official boats or special ones with permission can park in the city center. This rule helps control the boat traffic especially during busy times so the narrow waterway doesn’t get blocked or become unsafe.The water police will do some checks. They mainly make sure everything is okay. They check the gear boat license and documents. If they suspect someone is drinking alcohol they can test for that too. During the Ghent Festivities, they plan surprise checks without warning.
