A generalised “zone 30” in Brussels?

The future Brussels government is currently working on a key initiative, namely to turn all of Brussels into a “zone 30” – in other words, to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h everywhere in the Belgian capital.

“Studies show that in cities where zone 30 has been introduced, the number of accidents has decreased by 25 to 40%. As a result, pedestrians and cyclists are more protected. A pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling at 30 km/h is three times more likely to survive than one hit at 50 km/h,” says Benoît Godart, a spokesman for the Vias Institute.

For Katia Xenophontos, of the Bruxsel’air collective, limiting the speed to 30 km/h will have a beneficial effect on the environment: “Establishing a generalised zone 30 will have the positive effect of reducing the rates of acceleration and deceleration among vehicles, which are a great source of pollution. It will also reduce fuel consumption, indirect pollution caused by car brakes and noise pollution,” she explains.

The main objective of this generalized zone is also to reduce the number of cars in the city. The new measure is expected to come into effect by January 1, 2021 at the earliest.