On a mild winter day, people gather in Brussels’ Le Piétonnier pedestrian zone, enjoying mulled wine, churros, and coffee. But soon, this lively scene will change. Bikes and scooters will be banned from the 18,000-sq-metre zone for most of the day. They will only be allowed from 4 am to 11 am. Outside these hours, riders must walk their bikes or face fines. Anaïs Maes, Brussels city counsellor for urban planning and mobility, said, "In everyday reality, people do not respect that rule or don’t know it, and so it creates conflicts." She mentioned complaints from older people, families, and those with mobility issues who "don’t feel safe, because they live in fear of not being able to step aside quickly enough or being hit." The exact start date is still being decided as city council discussions continue. The pedestrian zone was expanded in 2015 to reduce car traffic and make the city greener and calmer. It replaced busy roads with space for walking, cycling, and cafes. Yet, mixing cyclists and pedestrians has caused problems. Some cyclists speed, making walking risky. Danielle Peeters, a cyclist, called the ban "a little radical" but admitted some cyclists do ride very fast. "Alex," a cyclist and delivery courier, said the ban will make his work hard but added, “there were bigger problems” like the war in Ukraine. He also criticized the city for not painting clear bike paths. Cycling groups warned the ban is "dangerous and absurd". They argue the city's suggested alternate bike route is unsafe because it is on busy streets with cars and buses. Bernards Heymans from the road safety group Heroes for Zero said, "If cyclists are banned on the Piétonnier, then we would really like a real second way to access the city centre for cyclists." Maes disagrees with creating a separate bike lane in the pedestrian zone, saying it could cause more problems since cyclists might speed in their own lanes, causing new conflicts. She affirmed working on safe alternatives: "We are trying to solve a mobility-safety issue, but what I do not want to do is to create a bigger problem."