Cyclists and e-scooter riders among those stopped in drink-drug checks

During a major alcohol and drug control action conducted over the weekend by officers of the Brussels Capital Ixelles police zone, 1,176 drivers were checked with five licences being removed immediately, RTBF reports.

The checks, which were carried out on Place Poelaert, Rue Belliard and Boulevard Baudouin, resulted in five driver's licences immediately being withdrawn for a period of 15 days after testing positive for drugs, while 26 drivers who tested positive were given a temporary driving ban of six hours.

Not only motorists were checked, but also cyclists and electric scooter drivers. Three cyclists and five drivers of an electric scooter had exceeded the maximum allowable alcohol level and were prohibited from continuing to travel with these means of transport.

The police stress that even cyclists and drivers of electric scooters, as well as any other means of ‘soft’ mobility, must respect the Highway Code and not engage with traffic in a state of inebriation.