Knokke restrooms remain €1 as ONE HUNDRED proposal denied

Knokke-Heist (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Knokke-Heist’s Alfred Verweeplein restrooms remain €1 during the day. Operator ONE HUNDRED proposed higher daytime rates to offset free night use, but the city council refused to prevent public urination.

As VRT News reported, new public restrooms have opened at Alfred Verweeplein in Knokke-Heist since the summer of 2023. They mentioned that the project aims to improve hygiene and visitor comfort. It also addresses problems with public urination and untidy urinals on Lippenslaan. 

What happens to Knokke restroom fees after ONE HUNDRED proposals?

According to officials, a daytime visit costs 1 euro. At night, the restrooms are free to use. The city hopes this will keep public spaces clean at all times.

“Because we’re in the entertainment district, and we really wanted to address the nuisance caused by public urination,”

says Alderman Bert De Brabandere (Inzicht).

“Figures also show that it works. In July of this year, 33,000 people used the public restrooms during the free hours. In August, that number was 25,000.”

The public restrooms at Alfred Verweeplein have drawn attention because some visitors do not pay at night. The operator, ONE HUNDRED, says this causes lost revenue. To make up for the shortfall, the company proposed raising the daytime price by 50 cents, bringing it to €1.50 per visit. The proposal has sparked discussion between the operator and the city council.

The city council has decided that the daytime price should remain at €1. Alderman De Brabandere said the city considers this a fair rate for all visitors. He warned that increasing the fee could push people to find other ways to use a restroom, including entering restaurants and bars. 

De Brabandere added that the portable toilets are clean and well-maintained, and the main problem of public urination happens at night. He said the city does not want to take risks, so the price will stay at €1 to ensure access and maintain proper use.

The first of ONE HUNDRED’s “mobile comfort hubs” opened on 20 July 2023 at Alfred Verweeplein in Knokke‑Heist. The toilets were specially developed for Knokke-Heist and represent the 3rd Belgian location for ONE HUNDRED, after Antwerp’s Stadsfeestzaal and the Waasland Shopping Centre in Sint-Niklaas. The hub is staffed full-time to maintain cleanliness. Earlier, in April 2023, Knokke-Heist ran a pilot with temporary toilets on the same square.