Uccle (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A court ordered the municipality of Uccle to reinstall the bicycle racks taken off of Chaussée de Waterloo. Now, they must put back on the bicycle racks or face a fine of €5,000 per day. The court labelled the act as “pure destruction of regional property” and ruled that the road, owned by the Brussels Region, cannot be altered unilaterally by the municipality.
A court ordered the municipality of Uccle to re-install the bicycle racks taken from Chaussée de Waterloo. The court has ordered them to put back bicycle racks or a €5,000 fine is handed out for each day they are not. Cyclists in Belgium face pressure from local traders who want more parking spaces for cars, Belgian media reported Wednesday. The racks were removed to solve complaints about the lack of parking hurting business.
However, that backfired when Brussels Mobility challenged the move in court.
“The destruction of regional infrastructure is taking the law into one’s own hands and a form of vandalism,”
Said Elke Van den Brandt (Groen), Brussels Minister for Mobility.
The court found in favour of Brussels Region, saying that the racks must be put back in place, or else every day they are being left off brings a daily fine. Jean-Luc Vanraes, a Flemish alderman in Uccle, explained the municipality’s position:
“We want to avoid that, and so we are putting the bicycle racks back. Even though we still have to wait a while for a thorough treatment.”
Traders and residents divided over parking
The debate amongst residents and business owners over the issue is beginning. The reinstatement of bicycle racks is good news for sustainable mobility, but traders say it impacts their businesses.
“The last word has not yet been said on this,”
Remarked Vanraes.
“The last word has not yet been said on this. If you think there should be bicycle racks, then provide them in a better place. Why do parking spaces for cars always have to be lost for this? ”
Parking spaces in Uccle have been reduced, but traders there are frustrated and say it’s harming business.
“The traders in Ukkel are really not happy about this. They keep losing customers because parking spaces are constantly being taken away,”
Vanraes noted.
Similar conflicts have erupted in other parts of Brussels. In Schaerbeek, environmental advocates battled with local merchants over reducing car lanes to create bike infrastructure. Advocates for sustainable transportation point to bike racks as evidence that they are supporting sustainable urban development, while merchants warn that the easement of parking space could inflict economic harm on small businesses.
This controversy reflects a broader debate across Brussels and beyond, implementing sustainability initiatives in ways that balance sustainable urban mobility with the needs of local businesses. Cycling and pedestrian infrastructure in the Brussels Region has been a high priority in mobility plans. However, these efforts frequently run into resistance in areas where access by car is seen as necessary for fortune and comfort.
With Uccle reconvening its bicycle racks and with questions being raised about how to straddle the competing needs of sustainability and economic viability, this has begun to generate more scrutiny. However, local merchants say they fear losing business because of the ruling, while advocates say it is a victory for sustainable transport.
As bicycle racks return and urban mobility persists for discussion in the next few weeks, all eyes will be on Chaussée de Waterloo. This case highlights the necessity of decision cooperation between regional and local authorities in order both to fulfil infrastructure requirements and to satisfy local concerns.
