The number of incidents between a tramway and a cyclist or a pedestrian in Brussels is declining even as the network grows, according to new figures released on Monday.
A report by public transport company STIB showed that in 2018, there had been 15 incidents involving a tram and a cyclist, down from 17 in 2017 in what represented a 11.7% decline.
Last year also saw a slightly steeper decline in the number of incidents between a pedestrian and a tram, with a total of 39 accidents registered in 2018 compared to 49 in 2017, marking a drop of 13.3%.
The public transport company said the figures meant "good news" for road safety in Brussels, noting that the decline came at a time where tramway traffic was increasing in the city.
"These figures are even more encouraging if we take into account that the number of kilometres travelled by tramways and the overall frequency of tram traffic is increasing," the report said.
The figures reported an increase of 9.7% in the number of users of the tram network and a more modest increase of 1% in the number of kilometres travelled by the network's trams combined.
The figures come as the company announced it was launching a new campaign aiming to encourage users of all means of transport to remain vigilant.
"It's good news for road safety, but they should not take away from the importance of remaining alert of approaching tramways," the statement read.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
