The entire village of Loupian, in Hérault, is limited to 30 km/h from this Monday

If you drive through Loupian, you will have to step on the brake! From this Monday, November 4, 2024, the entire Hérault village is limited to 30 km/hour. Decision taken by the mayor, the project had been on the table for four years. A way to reduce accidents and noise pollution, particularly around the D158 which crosses the town. But what do the residents think? We went to ask them this Saturday, November 2.

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“Some people cross the village like crazy!”

In one of the PMUs in Loupian, that's all we talk about. “Chouchou, were you aware that the entire village goes at 30 km hours?” asks the manager to one of her customers. “No, but they’re right!” replies Danielle, retired, who has lived here forever. “Cars pass too quickly in the town : some people cross the village like crazy even though there is a school and elderly people. One day I was walking up the sidewalk, and I thought a car was going to hit me while I was on the sidewalk. There are people who are reasonable, who let us pass, but others are crazy!”

Besides, Catherine has already witnessed an accident. “One person has already been mowed down on a bike, a gentleman, it was rue des logis, it seems to me. We too, pedestrians, are afraid to cross! It goes very fast. Limiting the speed to 30 km hours, that will do good.” It will also do good for Enzo, who is carrying his daughter Valentina in his arms. “Look at my daughter, she is very small. Some go at 2,000 miles an hour and one day, there is a child who will take, that's for sure. There are a lot of children here, you can't believe it, and a lot of old people too. One day someone is going to get knocked down.”

How to really penalize?

The vast majority of people from Loupian that we met this Saturday, November 2 are therefore rather favorable to this limitation to 30 km/hourbut Claude is rather pessimistic. “It makes no sense, as long as there is no one to penalize them, you can put up as many signs as you want, it will not be enough. The police should take care of it, and be strict about it. But if it's not to tell anyone, it's no use.”

Pascal Musenger, the deputy mayor of Loupian in charge of town planning and the police, working on this file for four years in his community. “Honestly, I know people won't respect the limitation, he regrets. Most people who are aware of the problem will respect it, in fact they already do. But I fear that the incivility that is growing in France is also based on this credo. The only answer we have is repression, but in a small village like ours, we cannot afford to have a radar. We only have one municipal police officer, and he doesn't have the means to control everyone. If we see that there are still people who do not comply, we will move to the next step, in other words, impose fines, because now, unfortunately, that is the only thing that works.”

Setting up zone 30 cost the village of Loupian a total of 1,000 euros.