Police in Brussels have observed an increase in "rodeo driving," including excessive speed and reckless behaviour on the roads, near Heysel in the north of the Capital Region.
Now, Brussels Ixelles police zone has been implementing various measures to tackle this issue, it said in a statement on Tuesday morning, including the partial closure of the roundabout at Place Louis Steens. However, their efforts appear to be fruitless.
"In spite of all this, it appears that drivers are once again heading for the area when the weather is nice to put their foot down on the accelerator," the statement read.
The police, together with the City of Brussels, set up a task force to deal with the issue; this included vehicle checks last weekend.
Cracking down on daredevils
On Saturday, police stopped a vehicle after the driver was caught speeding on the Boulevard du Centenaire, endangering pedestrians and other road users. Officers were alarmed to discover a 7-year-old child sitting in the back seat.
"The driver's licence was immediately withdrawn for 15 days and the car was impounded," a statement read.
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Later on, another vehicle was caught doing at least 80 km/h in the 30 km/h zone near Avenue Jean Sobieski. Police officers stopped the driver, and his licence was also withdrawn for 15 days and the car impounded.
During speed checks over the past weeks and months, one driver was fined for driving at 101 km/h on the Avenue Houba De Strooper, twice the speed limit. On the Rue Emile Delva, one person was caught speeding at 107 km/h in a 30 km/h zone.
The police zone confirmed that more checks will be carried out in the coming months to "guarantee the safety of all local residents and users of the public highway."
