History

The Law organizing the Gendarmerie of 28 Germinal of the year VI and a decree of 31 January 1815 on the regulation on the police, discipline and service of the military police, make these services responsible for the police on big traffic routes.

On the basis of these texts and alarming statistics on the already numerous accidents, the authorities turn to the gendarmerie on 23 January 1933 to set up a Special Traffic Police (Bijzondere Wegpolitie, BWP). The BWP are established within the mobile legion. They are then under the command of sublieutenant Schrauwen and consist of an elite officer and four teams of two. The unit’s task is to cross all national roads to guard the communication lines.

The motorcyclists’ work is generally appreciated and the need for additional staff is quickly felt. A ministerial letter of 20 May 1953 reorganizes the unit in that direction. The Special Traffic Police then consist of nineteen policemen, including three elite officers, spread over the three groups of the mobile legion. The first team is stationed in Brussels and is in charge of the provinces of Brabant, Liège and Limburg. The second team is stationed in the second mobile group in Antwerp and guards the roads in the provinces of Antwerp, East and West Flanders. The third team is quartered in the 3rd mobile group in Charleroi and is responsible for the provinces of Hainaut, Namur and Luxembourg.

In addition to the individual motorcycles, the BWP are equipped with four motorcycles with sidecar. In 1936, a fourth team is established in Liège.

In September 1939, they are given additional tasks: courier service, supervision of military and requisitioned vehicles, surveillance of military roads …

When the war breaks out on 10 May 1940, a team escorts the royal princes to Southern France. Some are attached to the big headquarters as courier service, whereas others escort the column of the civil house of the king to Le Havre and Poitiers.

In August 1940, the four teams are abolished by the Road Traffic Service to prevent the occupier from converting them into a Strassenpolizei.

After the liberation, the BWP reorganize only slowly, mainly thanks to the recovery of army vehicles. Some gendarmes join a platoon attached to the Office Provost Marshall in 1946.

Not before the regent decree of 26 February 1949 do the BWP rise from their ashes. Its first article stipulates: «Within the gendarmerie, training courses are organized for gendarmes-motorcyclists who are mainly responsible for the detection of violations of the laws and decrees on traffic police and road traffic.» The staff is raised to at least 100 men. Since then, all costs with regard to this unit are borne by the gendarmerie, which does not exclude cooperation with the Road Traffic Service at all.
In 1960, the Royal Motorcycle Escort is founded. The BWP Brabant provide one senior officer, three officers and 21 non-commissioned officers.

The royal decree of 14 March 1963 concerning the organization of the general service of the gendarmerie abolishes the regent decree of 1949, but keeps the mission of the BWP: «Detecting violations of the laws and regulations on traffic police and road traffic. The unit is divided into nine sections, each attached to the staff of a territorial group.» This is the first organization of the BWP by province. A member of the traffic police exercises its functions within the territory of the province to which he is assigned, but naturally he is allowed to pursue an offender across province borders.
Given the considerable development of the Belgian motorway network, the gendarmerie command sets up the Special Motorway Police (Bijzondere Autowegenpolitie, AWP) in 1970. Progressively, twenty posts of this unit are installed in the vicinity of interchanges.

Given the ever growing number of vehicles on the road and the increasing number of accidents, the members of the traffic police get no opportunity to become bored. In 1972, Belgians possess no less than 2,668,069 cars and 64,608 motorbikes. 75,883 accidents are counted that year, causing 1,829 people to die and 24,882 to get severely injured. Gendarmes make 177,563 reports. 

In February 1985, the BWP and AWP are merged into the Provincial Traffic Units (Provinciale Verkeerseenheden, PVE). Each provincial traffic unit consists of a secretariat, a communication centre, a number of traffic posts along the motorways (twenty-six for the whole country), a technical team and a road safety track.

The PVEs are in charge of 1,691 kilometers of motorways in Belgium, slip roads, including car parks and restaurants, and 366 kilometers of national roads.
In the 1990s, the Traffic programme of the Directorate of police operations fixes the priorities with regard to road traffic: excessive and inappropriate speed, wearing the seat belt, drunk-driving and heavy transport.

The actions by the provincial units focus on these phenomena and the gendarmes develop projects of quality basic police function, as in the national squads. However, road safety is not the PVEs’ only concern.

Due to the growth of criminal phenomena, the gendarmes of the PVEs will become more and more involved in judicial interventions in time. Motorways are obviously excellent travel routes for drug, waste and human traffickers.

In 1997, following a series of violent attacks on transports of valuables, the Minister of the Interior charges the gendarmerie with the task to escort intercity transports. For several months, before a specialized protection unit is set up within the general reserve, the gendarmes of the PVEs will carry out this dangerous task aboard their impressive Pontiac vehicles.

In 1999, the around nine hundred gendarmes who are part of the provincial traffic units, will record 287,298 violations of the highway code and make 68,687 reports of offences. They make more than four thousand reports in the judicial field.

In 2001, the Traffic Police are created. In addition to the existing services, a federal command is set up. It will coordinate all units that are charged with policing on motorways and similar ways.
It is a long time ago since a handful of brave motorcyclists carried out a few tasks with regard to road safety throughout the country!