Tervuren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Tervuren, Cyclists’ Union chairman Guy Pleysier urges extending 30 km/h zones near schools. Alderman Marc Charlier insists 50 km/h is safe, citing limited police capacity in the Voer en Dijle zone.
In Tervuren, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, the local Cyclists’ Union has raised serious concerns about the safety of streets around schools. With the new school year approaching, the organisation is calling for a large 30 km/h zone to cover more streets used by children and cyclists. Their worries come after recent roadworks on Duisburgesteenweg, which temporarily lowered the speed limit to 30 km/h in some areas.
Even during that period, the Cyclists’ Union reports that many drivers ignored the rules, speeding at 50 to 60 km/h. Pleysier from the Union warned that once the roadworks are finished and the 50 km/h limit returns, drivers could exceed safe speeds, possibly reaching 100 to 110 km/h, putting students at risk while they travel to and from school.
“Many schoolchildren pass by every day during the school year,”
Says Guy Pleysier, chairman of the Cyclists’ Union Tervuren.
“They still need to learn to assess the dangers of traffic. These are streets where cars travel at 50 kilometres per hour that are truly dangerous.”
What are the Tervuren authorities doing about 30 km/h zones near schools?
Despite these concerns, the municipal council has no plans to extend the lower speed limits. Alderman for Mobility, Marc Charlier (N-VA), said that school streets themselves already have a 30 km/h limit, which protects children in the areas closest to schools. The Cyclists’ Union, however, wants the speed limit to include surrounding streets that are often used by student cyclists. The council believes that extending the limit to these roads is unnecessary at this stage.
“That means entire stretches would have to be limited to 30 kilometres per hour.”
Says Charlier.
“That’s not possible. 50 kilometres per hour isn’t necessarily an unsafe speed. The few unsafe traffic situations in the municipality are mainly related to infrastructure. That takes time.”
The alderman of the municipality said that everyone, including motorists, should be able to travel at a reasonable speed. According to him, this approach is aimed at balancing mobility with road safety. He wants the streets to be efficient for vehicles without compromising safety.
“For us, 50 per hour remains the standard,”
Says Alderman Charlier.
“We’ll introduce 30 per hour in places where it’s necessary: where it’s dangerous, or where the street is too narrow to pass someone.”
Guy Pleysier, speaking for the Union, says that more speed checks are necessary to ensure drivers follow the 50 km/h limit. The alderman responded by explaining the practical challenges the police face. The municipality belongs to the Voer en Dijle police zone, which covers 4 municipalities. Because of this, officers and enforcement equipment cannot remain in one location for long periods.
“Capacity is therefore limited,”
The alderman added.
“But if we receive reports, for example, from residents about cars driving too fast, we will report them to the police. This is currently the case, for example, on Jezus Eiklaan.”
In Leuven, the city council also increased speed checks and installed additional traffic-calming measures after repeated complaints from the local cyclists’ association. Officers were deployed at strategic points, and mobile speed cameras were used to cover multiple streets. In Mechelen, a similar debate took place when the police zone had to divide resources across several municipalities, limiting constant monitoring at busy intersections.
