Mobility newsletter April 2023
What's new in mobility? At the start of each month, we share the latest news related to mobility.
In the news 📰
Paris bans the use of shared steps from 1 September. Parisians were allowed to decide on this themselves in a referendum. 103,084 Parisians voted, 89.03 per cent of whom voted in favour of the abolition. The referendum was organised as many residents were annoyed by the driving behaviour of users and, on the other, because the number of injury accidents involving shared steps increases every year. In Belgium, Leuven bans shared steps as of this month. Source
The Flemish government has approved a new cycling policy plan. The cycling policy plan aims to ensure that one third of all journeys are made by bicycle by 2040. Currently, 14% of all journeys are made by bicycle, which means the number of bicycle journeys has to double in the coming 17 years. Source
Mobility facts 🧮
For the last 10 years there have never been so many injury accidents involving a hit-and-run in 2022. 12.6 per cent of injury accidents, or 4,708 injury accidents, involve a hit-and-run. Mainly, this occurs in injury accidents involving soft road users. One in five injury accidents involving cyclists and one in seven injury accidents involving pedestrians involve hit-and-run. Source
A third of cyclists experience an unsafe feeling in 50 per cent of trips due to the behaviour of other cyclists and motorists. Along the other hand, a quarter of motorists also experience dangerous situations due to fast or slow cyclists. Source
Did you know❓
Brussels Mobility has announced that 100 new taxis adapted for people with reduced mobility will drive around Brussels. This would double the number of these taxis. This way Brussels mobility makes efforts to prevent loneliness. Source
Tout à pied and the Voetgangersbeweging are asking for people to fill out a questionnaire on the pedestrian accessibility of municipalities. Based on this information, a pedestrian barometer will be announced in October. The barometer lets municipalities and residents see how well you can get around as a pedestrian within a municipality. Source / Vragenlijst
Do you suffer from aggressive behaviour behind the wheel? Then try putting an air freshener with peppermint oil in your car. Dutch research found that this scent has a reducing effect on the number of aggressive behaviours in the car. Source