The carriageway and the parts of the public highway
⏱️ 2 min read
Before knowing how to ride, you need to know where you ride. The public highway is not just the strip of asphalt: it runs from one property boundary to the other, and each part has its users. Here is the map of the terrain.
✨ Key takeaways
- The public highway runs from building front to building front: carriageway, verges, cycle paths, parking, pavements.
- The carriageway is reserved for vehicles; on a moped, you keep to the right.
- The code also applies on land open to the public (a shop car park), not on closed private land.
- The pavement belongs to pedestrians: you never ride on it.
What exactly is the public highway?
The public highway is any road open to traffic for everyone. It doesn't matter who owns the land: as soon as everyone can travel on it, the Belgian highway code applies. It extends from building front to building front (or from ditch to ditch): the carriageway, verges, cycle paths, parking areas and pavements are all part of it.
| Part | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Carriageway | Vehicle traffic — including your moped |
| Cycle path | Cyclists and mopeds, depending on the class and the location |
| Verge | Side strip along the carriageway |
| Parking area | Stationary vehicles |
| Pavement | Pedestrians — never your moped with the engine running |
The carriageway: your main territory
The carriageway is the part of the public highway reserved for vehicle traffic. On a moped, that's where you ride most of the time — except when a cycle path is compulsory for your class (we cover that in detail in the lesson on the cycle path). The golden rule on the carriageway: keep to the right, as close as possible to the right-hand edge, without brushing the verge.
And off the road?
- Shop car park, petrol station: private land but open to the public → the Belgian highway code applies in full.
- Enclosed courtyard, private garage, fenced-off land: not open to the public → the code does not apply there.
You cross a shopping centre car park on your moped. Does the Belgian highway code apply there?