Flanders, Belgium approves plan for speed cameras in bicycle streets

Speeding violations in bicycle streets in Flanders, Belgium will soon be penalised, both for drivers and cyclists. On Tuesday, the Flemish Mobility Minister Lydia Peeters announced that new speed cameras and average speed checks would be installed in spring 2024.

• Read more: GCN Show: Is there ever a reason for cyclists to break the rules?

Bicycle streets are common in Flanders. Cars and motorised vehicles are permitted on them, but they must give way to bikes, and cannot overtake cyclists. The new cameras will make sure that everyone on the bicycle streets, whether they're in a car or on a bike, sticks to the 30kph speed limit.

On announcing the plans, Mobility Minister Peeters said:

"In recent years, many local authorities have set up cycling zones to give cyclists more space. Cycling is becoming more popular and it is my ambition to get even more people cycling in the coming years."

These cameras will allow the police to penalise drivers, but the plan is to spot speeding cyclists too. How the authorities will identify speeding cyclists is still unclear, with no number plate to distinguish them like a car has.

Peeters simply said: "With this adjustment, we give local authorities and police zones more options to enforce the speed limit. This is good for road safety and to encourage bicycle use."

The cameras will be up and running in spring 2024, provided the draft decision gets approval from the Flemish Government. Once approved, the law will be publicised in the Belgian Official Gazette.

Can you get caught speeding on a bike?

It changes from country to country, but in the UK, most of Europe and parts of the US, you can't be ticketed for speeding on a bicycle, although you can get pulled over and given equivalent charges such as 'careless cycling'. Even so, this new cycling-inclusive speed limit in Flanders is fairly unique.

How fast is 30kph?

30kph is a fairly typical cruising speed for a keen amateur cyclist. In fact, to find out just how achievable it is to travel at 30kph, GCN's Conor and Hank recently tried to ride at 30kph for as far as they could. Here's how they got on.