On the RAVeL, tensions and incidents are increasing between fast cyclists, families and scooters, on a strip barely a few metres wide. Charles Gardier is sounding the alarm and has secured adoption of a resolution to remind users of the rules, strengthen signage and urgently secure this iconic soft mobility network.
The RAVeL is more than 1,500 kilometres of routes reserved for active travel, managed by Wallonia, offering both a safe alternative for daily journeys and a fantastic tool for leisure and tourism.
Its use is increasing and its purposes are diversifying, which is excellent news. This success brings new challenges: on a strip two or three metres wide, fast commuting cyclists, sport cyclists, families with children, walkers, dogs on leads, scooters and other electric devices all have to coexist, sometimes with considerable speed differences.
We have all heard testimonies and seen tensions, even accidents, emerge on certain stretches, particularly near tourist areas, car parks or anti-intrusion devices. It is time to remember that every road must be shared.
Our first observation is a widespread lack of knowledge of the rules. Yet Article 22quinquies of the Highway Code sets a clear framework: a 30 km/h speed limit, authorised types of users, bans on certain devices that are too wide, and a special status for speed pedelecs, which, with assistance up to 45 km/h, are in principle not permitted on the RAVeL.
Yet very few users actually know this. No recent campaign has reminded people of these rules in a visible, accessible and coordinated way across Wallonia.
Second observation: signage. It exists, but is sometimes insufficient, inconsistent and hard to read. Intersections with motorised roads remain sensitive points: a lack of clarity about right of way, combined with poorly adapted signs, can have dramatic consequences.
Based on these observations, our resolution, unanimously adopted in committee, sets out four very concrete requests to the Government.
First, organise, together with the Walloon Road Safety Agency, a large-scale awareness campaign specifically dedicated to the RAVeL: reminding people of the 30 km/h limit, the authorised categories of users, right-of-way rules, and the behaviour expected to protect the most vulnerable users. The aim is to reach both residents and tourists, whether regular or occasional.
Second, strengthen speed signage where relevant: incorporate the 30 km/h limit into entry signs for sections, provide regular reminders, including on the ground at access points to the RAVeL, and, where useful, add a few simple rules to promote harmonious coexistence.
Third, install, in consultation with local authorities, legal reminders at strategic points: heavily used areas, tourist sites, car parks, and junctions with other networks or other regions. These reminders should be available both as summary signs and via QR codes linking to clear, up-to-date and multilingual information.
Fourth, pay particular attention to junctions between the RAVeL and motorised roads, by updating design recommendations in line with developments in active travel and by prioritising points identified as problematic on the ground.
The budget required is limited and remains reasonable given what is at stake: better information, a few additional signs, targeted adjustments to junctions. Yet the impact on safety could be significant.
This resolution does not claim to solve all road safety issues in Wallonia. It focuses on a network we are proud of, which is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, and which must remain a symbol of relaxation, sport, tourism and sustainable mobility, but under enhanced safety conditions for everyone.