Speed check 'marathon' on Belgian roads today

Mobile speed cameras will be out in force across Belgium on Wednesday in the ninth edition of a 24-hour speed check marathon on the country's roads.

Starting at 6.00 on Wednesday morning, federal and local police will be positioned on motorways, regional and local roads to catch speeding drivers.

The last marathon, on 11 October last year, involved radar checks on 1.3 million vehicles. More than 36,000 drivers were booked for excessive speed, despite a major police awareness campaign shortly before the day of action.

In related news, a Brussels parliamentary committee has rejected a proposal to impose a 30kph speed limit on most of the region's roads. The proposal by the Ecolo and Groen parties was rejected by the MR party, while members from the Open-VLD, CD&V and Socialist parties all abstained.

Schaerbeek announced last week that 30kph would become standard on the majority of local roads next year - and Ixelles, Etterbeek and Brussels-City are all keen to extend their 30kph zones.

Ecolo member of parliament Céline Delforge said: "This is a real missed opportunity. The proposal could have improved road safety and reduced the number of road deaths. While several municipalities in Brussels are extending 30kph zones, the region has missed the chance to apply a consistent policy everywhere."