BRUSSELS, Aug 23 — The roll-out this summer of a larger low-traffic zone in the hypercentre of the Belgian capital should further encourage inhabitants of Brussels to adopt soft mobility.

A new traffic plan has been implemented in Brussels, with the aim of making certain districts more pleasant to live in by reducing car traffic. To do this, the plan restricts car traffic in several parts of the city centre, favoring public transport and soft mobility (such as walking, cycling, scooters, etc.). The City Council aims to reduce car traffic by 24 per cent in the capital by 2030.

Essentially, motorists will be encouraged to bypass the centre of the city and use the ring road to get from one end of the city to the other. In order to limit the presence of vehicles, many changes in traffic management have been planned, as well as the creation of small pedestrian zones or areas of limited access. This is an additional deterrent in addition to the 30 km/h speed limit that has already been applied throughout the city.

In Brussels, previous policies to encourage the use of soft mobility instead of cars are already bearing fruit. The number of bicycle trips in the capital continues to rise, by an average of 20 per cent each year, according to data from Bruxelles Mobilité. Nearly 15 per cent of Brussels residents are now in the habit of cycling to work, according to a study by Acerta, a human resources services company. Nearly one in two Brussels residents (46 per cent) also use public transport to get to work.

Brussels joins a growing list of major cities that are choosing to restrict car traffic to combat deteriorating air quality and grozing noise pollution. In recent months, other large cities that have taken steps in this direction in Europe include Madrid, Milan, Oslo, Copenhagen and Ljubljana. It should be noted that reducing the number of cars in the city is also supposed to encourage the use of bicycles and which can thus be ridden more safely. — ETX Studio