Investigation of campus traffic safety following serious accident

The Municipality of Rotterdam will start traffic safety discussions as well as investigate the traffic situations around campus Woudestein. This is in response to a call for help from the university after an Erasmus School of Economics PhD student was seriously injured two weeks ago while crossing Kralingse Zoom.

The announcement was made by a spokesperson for alderman Judith Bokhove (GroenLinks, mobility). “The university has been in contact with the municipality’s traffic safety team, and a meeting will take place very soon to discuss safety concerns and the traffic situation around the campus”, stated the spokesperson.

A 27-year-old ESE PhD student was seriously injured on 8 January at approximately 7.30 pm, when using the Kralingse Zoom zebra crossing to reach Kralingse Zoom metro station. He was admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

‘A huge concern for the Executive Board’

The accident was yet another in a series of traffic incidents around campus and a reason for the university to sound the alarm. The university brought its ‘great concern’ to the attention of the municipal council in a meeting with alderman Bas Kurvers (VVD, construction) and with area managers. “The municipality recognises these concerns and will be further investigating the traffic situation”, stated a university spokesperson.

When the municipality will devise any solutions is, as yet, unknown. “This could take time,” stated the spokesperson, “but could also happen quickly.” The spokesperson stated that, in a comparable situation at Claes de Vrieselaan, a hazardous junction in the city, the municipality took initial measures within three weeks. A 39-year-old cyclist from Rotterdam was killed on that road in August.

Police investigation in full flow

The condition of the 27-year-old PhD student continues to be serious; he is still in a critical condition in hospital. A police spokesperson stated that, as the police investigation into the 8 January accident is still ongoing, no announcement can yet be made about the cause of the accident.