Bike path

There can be maximum speeds on cycle paths. Municipalities may experiment with this from the outgoing cabinet. The idea is to ensure fewer accidents. After the experiments, it is checked whether the traffic rules should be adjusted. Plan leads to changing reactions from, among other things, interest groups.

Many accidents with cyclists happen in Amsterdam. The municipality is therefore happy with the plan, says alderman Melanie van der Horst. “I think you should not want to introduce this for the entire country, but really where it is unsafe and busy, such as in the cities. I would also like a maximum speed for the bike in parks, because there the traffic mixes.”

According to Van der Horst, the different speeds of E-bikes and Fatbikes in particular make it dangerous. Wim Bot from the Fietsersbond agrees with that. The crowds and the various speeds is a bad combination, says Bot at Speech makers On Radio 1. Bicycle paths were not set up for this at the time.

Yet so far the Fietsersbond is not in favor of a maximum bicycle speed, says Bot. There is actually a maximum speed. E-bikes are not allowed to be harder at all than 25 kilometers per hourbut sometimes they are staged. At Fatbikes it is in some cases 45 or 50 kilometers per hour.

“Vehicles on cycle paths are not allowed to drive faster than 25 kilometers per hour, because then the pedal assistance must stop,” says Bot. “The problem is that it is completely insufficiently maintained.” BOT states that tackling performed e-bikes should be given priority.

Florrie de Pater, chairman of the Fietsersbond Amsterdam, shows places where she can do it much safer:

A better solution is to move faster cyclists to the roadway, says Bot. “Then you also have to have a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour on that roadway, especially throughout the city.”

A separate cycle path for fast cyclists is an even better solution, as already exists in some places in Denmark. “But in the Netherlands we often have too little room for that. It sounds good, but I think that this is often unhappy in existing urban areas.”

In Katwijk, fast cyclists have had their own road section since mid -April. There the municipality laid a so -called suggestiestrook On the boulevard. Cyclists who drive above 20 kilometers per hour can use that new strip. They share the road with motorists, who are allowed on this part for a maximum of 30, writes RTV Katwijk.

Veilig Verkeer Nederland finds a maximum speed no crazy idea. It just wouldn’t be the solution, says spokesman Willemijn Pomper Speech makers. “I think it should be a combination of things.”

She also mentions improving the bicycle infrastructure, for example by making cycle paths wider. “That is extremely important, because cycle paths are not calculated on all these different vehicles.”