Rue Belliard cycle path plan is 'absurd' says Touring

Plans to build a cycle path along one of Brussels' busiest streets, Rue Belliard, have been described as "absurd" by the Belgian motorists' association Touring.

The five-lane expressway, a major artery heading out of the city centre and the EU district, would be reduced to four lanes under the proposal by the Brussels-Capital Region.

Touring says reducing the number of lanes would make the already heavy traffic even worse, especially in the evening rush.

The group believes that the plan is unnecessary because the Rue de la Loi, which runs parallel to Rue Belliard, already has cycle lanes on both pavements since 2003.

In a statement, Touring said: "Despite the many warnings and opinions from experts, the Brussels-Capital Region continues to introduce measures without taking into account their impact on other roads and on traffic flow."

The organisation has also called for more to be done to improve traffic on the Brussels inner ring road, including the introduction of "smart traffic lights" which adapt to the flow of traffic.

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