Bruges has one large cycling zone in the city center. There are a total of 90 bicycle streets. Yet the police only issued 15 fines last year.
This is because police officers must catch offenders red-handed in order to impose fines. “That is not obvious, which is why it is important that the city guards, for example, speak to people. Police officers still have many other tasks to do,” says Annick Lambrecht, chairman of the municipal council in Bruges. She advocates signaling and awareness.