Brussels – Traffic Rules ….. 30May08

Zebra crossings:

The Brussels police authority, which is widely known and highly regarded for not only its ambitious and strict enforcement of traffic rules, but also 100% compliance by its own force, announced on the 30th of May a further step to reduce traffic accidents and thus improve road safety. In the presence of the Brussels traffic minister the director of the authority explained at a brief press conference that as of 2 June car drivers are required to park on and block access to zebra crossings.

An additional 150 traffic police will patrol the streets of Brussels. Car drivers that use a free parking space that is less than 500 meter away from an unblocked crossing can be fined up to € 800. A spokesperson for the authority clarified afterwards that both policy-makers and the policy force were unanimous in their verdict that existing rules have failed to significantly reduce reckless behaviour by pedestrians, particularly parents with prams, children, wheel chair users and elderly people, and that therefore, unfortunately, car drivers needed to be legislated too.

Only last year a law was introduced to prevent pedestrians from crossing the street immediately after the relevant traffic light jumps from red to green. Instead, pedestrians are required to wait for a further twenty seconds to allow car drivers to drive through the red light when in a hurry, feeling stressed, or testing car performance. There have been many occasions where enforcing police officers were mocked and pelted with, for example, baby food bottles and dirty diapers or even attacked by lap dogs belonging to pensioners. This pedestrians specific law, the spokesperson insisted, has been almost as widely broken as the 2001 first zebra crossing law, which also targets pedestrians by forbidding them to use such a crossing if a car can be seen approaching, either from near-by or a great distance.

The spokesperson concluded by saying that the policy authority had great faith in the cooperation from car drivers. Based on evidence obtained from all across Brussels Planet Lasse can confirm that one day before the law will enter into force car drivers' commitment, and cooperation and thus compliance, impressively led by Ixelles commune employees on duty, is already exemplary.

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Brussels - Public Health & Safety ….. 28May08

Pets:

The Brussels authorities recently introduced a new law requiring all dogs to keep their pet humans on the leash in all public places.

The powerful international lobby organisation Canine Rights Watch denounced the move as political and flawed. A spokesman for the organisation emphasised that independent studies have shown that it is scientifically and ethically wrong to conclude on the basis of occasional cases of violent behaviour by some pitbull pet humans that all dogs’ pet humans are aggressive and dangerous and thus pose a public safety risk.

The spokeswoman of the Brussels authorities rejected the criticism and stressed that it was impossible for the local police force to differentiate between pitbull pet humans and those of other dogs. In addition, she emphasised, the law was not only about safety from dangerous pet humans, but also about health. Similar legislation already in place in other cities and countries has shown that pet humans attached to a leash are less likely to become a public health hazard by treating streets, parks etc. as toilets. Therefore the new law also introduces the requirement for dogs to attach a plastic bag to the leash to ensure the swift and effective cleaning up after pet humans. In this respect, the spokeswoman concluded, the Brussels authorities are about to start a poster campaign with the objective to encourage responsibility and model behaviour. Planet Lasse was allowed a first glance at an early draft of a poster that may be used in the campaign.





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Brussels - Culture ..... 22May08

Exhibitions:

The Flagey school of modern art in Ixelles asked its students to arrange this year for an exhibition that would excite not only art lovers and professionals, but also those who rarely come into contact with art. The student executive board decided that this could be best achieved by a) inviting the public to become part of the exhibition and contribute to the making of the art objects to be exhibited, b) making it an open-air exhibition in the Flagey neighbourhood, and c) picking as subject for the exhibition: A homage to popular street art in Naples, which is one of the partner cities of Ixelles.

The exhibition will run until end of September. A reporter for the local weekly XL Nouvelles was one of the first persons to visit the exhibition. Planet Lasse got the permission to show some of the pictures of the art objects on display here.

Concerts:

The highlight on this summer's rhythm 'n blues concert agenda is without doubt Ixelles born global legend Roberto + band His Rockers. Tickets are now on sale. For more info see details below.

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