Children want a safer school area in Ypres

The cycling and pedestrian paths in the Meenseweg are in poor condition and are too narrow. And people are also driving too fast, say the activists.

Loop around school

Accompanied by the police, the children drove a large loop around their school. It is located on the Meenseweg in Ypres, a busy approach road, and above all a dangerous one.

Roeland Struye of the Parent Council Mobility Working Group: “It is a very dangerous neighbourhood. The city has regularly promised to tackle it thoroughly. They have made a number of minor adjustments, for which thanks. But the thorough approach has not materialised. that is the main purpose of the action.”

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“Really Dangerous”

The footpaths and cycle paths must be wider, and the speed of vehicles must be reduced through traffic calming measures, the school says. The children also find it downright dangerous here.

“Yes, a big truck once passed here and that was really dangerous. -It came really close to you? Yes. And I was also on a bike. And suddenly a car had to stop but it drove on. I was almost flat. So luckily I was still able to stop…”, several children testify.

“Reconstruction not obvious”

Completely rebuilding a major road is not easy. Lots of people drive past here into town. And the price tag is also high. A thorough redesign will no longer be for this legislature.

“I hope there is a budget for the next legislature. A document has already been drawn up that all political parties have signed in which they recognize that the Menin Road must be tackled. That document dates back to 2017, we call it the memorandum. But until to date, it remains with a signature, so that they recognize that it is a difficult situation.”

“Smaller adjustments after consultation,” says the city council

The city of Ypres understands the action and says that there has already been a lot of consultation with the school. A number of minor interventions have also been carried out on this basis.

For example, the cycle paths have been widened somewhat and in some places the footpaths have also been widened, so that they have a traffic-calming effect. The city also built a test roundabout and several zebra crossings received special LED lighting.