“Your life is worth a detour”. The new campaign was launched on today (30 June) by Infrabel in cooperation with Serurail and SNCB to prevent the presence of unauthorized people on and along the tracks.
According to a survey earlier this year, those who adopt this risky behavior are mostly men in the age of 18 – 34 years.
A video in the campaign shows Gaëtan Bouillet, a young international champion of "Parkour", who practice free running in a city before stopping when arriving at a railway line where a train runs at full speed.
"Gaëtan has to make some good choices that involve risks," said Infrabel, which focuses its campaign on personal responsibility.
In 2015, there were 573 reports of persons on tracks where it is forbidden. This behavior has cost the life of four people and three others were seriously injured.
This behavior is also the cause of five hours of delay per day on average. In addition, 370 instances of trespassing have already been reported during the first half-year despite awareness campaigns and frequent police checks.
The main reason why people adopt this dangerous behavior is to save time (46%). But 20% of respondents simply like the pretty surroundings along the rail and enjoy walking there while 19% claim that they have not seen a prohibition sign.
The Brussels Times (Source: Belga)
