Minister Depraetere puts the climate back on the agenda with a proposal on maximum speed, but that immediately bumps into a lot of walls
A bullying measure. For example, N -VA and CD&V – the Coalition partners of Vooruit – label the proposal of climate minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit) to limit the maximum speed on the motorway to 100 km/h. The measure has few chances of survival, but clearly affects a sensitive chord.
Melissa Depraetere has opened the climate debate by having a balloon on limiting the maximum speed on the motorways to 100 km/h. She relies on examples from neighboring countries Germany and the Netherlands. « If a measure is good for climate, road safety and health, we have to think about that, » she says.
Flanders is currently busy drawing up the Flemish Climate and Energy Plan. That must be ready by the summer. Europe actually expects a CO2 reduction of 47 percent of Belgium, but the Flemish government is limited to 40 percent for the time being. For the time being, because for minister Depraetere that is the minimum. The closer we get to the 47 percent, the better, it sounds on her cabinet. « We are counting on other ministers taking measures to achieve the objectives, » said Depraetere.
Flemish bullying
That was not included in Minister of Mobility Annick de Ridder (N-VA). « Let me be clear: reducing the maximum speed is definitely not going to come, » the minister immediately said on X on Wednesday, and is confirmed to us. The minister does acknowledge that climate efforts must be made: « That is what Europe expects from us and whatever is in the Flemish Coalition Agreement. » Only for the time being she does not want to communicate what measures she will take. De Ridder emphasizes that ministers must make efforts within their own powers.
Her party colleague and Flemish Prime Minister Matthias Diependaele (N-VA) immediately gets the Depraetere balloon on X: « The maximum speed on highways is 120 km/h. Point. »
CD&V is also bothered by Depraetere’s proposal. « Windmills in everyone are backyard, a maximum speed of 100 km per hour on people who simply want to drive to work. » It is clear that Flemish MP Kris Poelaert (CD&V) is not one. His party believes that minister Depraetere should come up with measures that are less the hard -working Fleming. « A climate plan should not be a round of Flemish bullying, » concludes Poelaert. CD&V mainly sees salvation in the cover to electric cars to drastically limit emissions.
Cool lover
Traffic Institute Vias is a cool lover and says that the positive effects of a maximum speed of 100 km/h are minimal. According to Vias, the emissions of a car rise exponentially with the speed. The institute emphasizes that there are larger profit margins by ensuring that more people drive less often. « It is therefore not necessary to get people who adhere to the speed rules with this measure, » said spokesman Stef Willems. VIAS indicates that on critical points such as the Brussels and Antwerp Ring, they are already dynamically lowering, so that the number of accidents has already fallen dramatically.
Although coalition partners N-VA and CD&V immediately reject the proposal from Minister Depraetere, great efforts will still have to be made to achieve the climate objectives. The climate debate seems back from (never). With the debate about wind turbines, the drought and now also the speed limit, the weather is in the spotlight.
