Ostend (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): John Crombez a mayoral candidate in Ostend argues that 30 km/h speed limits prioritize fines over safety. He proposes raising limits to 50 km/h where appropriate reflecting public concerns.
John Crombez who wants to be the mayor of Ostend and represents the Vooruit party is suggesting a big change in the city’s traffic rules. He believes that many streets being marked as zone 30 (where the speed limit is 30 km/h) is just a way for the current city council to make money from fines instead of focusing on safety. Crombez thinks that if there isn’t a clear safety issue the speed limit in these areas should be raised to 50 km/h. He believes that the widespread use of zone 30 is more about generating fines than actually improving safety. Crombez’s proposal aims to fix this by making sure speed limits are set based on real traffic conditions and safety needs instead of applying the same limit everywhere without consideration.
What are the public concerns about speed limit enforcement in Ostend?
Reynaert recently talked about how people in Ostend are unhappy with speed limit enforcement. A few years back the city set a 30 km/h speed limit to make roads safer in neighborhoods. But since they quickly started giving out fines for speeding many residents think the real reason for these fines is to make money instead of ensuring safety. People believe that the city is more interested in boosting its finances than actually caring about safety. This creates a difference between what the city claims it wants to achieve and how the public views its actions leading to doubts about the true motives behind the rules.
As the elections get closer Reynaert warns that this could have big political effects. If voters think the speed enforcement is about politics or just a way to earn money, it could damage the trust in current officials and hurt their chances in the elections. It has been said that this situation highlights how essential it is for the city to match its policy goals with what the public thinks to keep their trust and avoid problems during the elections.
How should Ostend balance traffic safety and revenue from fines?
Reynaert explains that it’s tough to estimate how much money the city earns from GAS fines and the main issue is whether municipalities should control their traffic policies or hire private companies. If they outsource to private firms there’s a risk of those companies prioritizing profit by issuing more fines than necessary which isn’t the goal. People value traffic safety especially around schools but they also dislike paying fines or taxes. Reynaert stresses that if local governments partner with private companies they need a solid contract to ensure companies are fairly compensated without creating a profit-driven model.
Reynaert says that working with a private company can be good if it’s cheaper than using city workers. The idea behind speed cameras is to make them unnecessary so there won’t be any more GAS fines in the future. He thinks traffic safety will be a big topic in the upcoming elections especially in Ostend where people are talking about the 30 km/h speed limit. Mayor Bart Tommelein believes that most people caught by the cameras aren’t from Ostend and that local residents actually benefit from it. Reynaert highlights that the main question is how much people are willing to do for road safety, and voters will have an important say in this on October 13.
