Etterbeek loses bike parking subsidies after putting sheds in wrong place

The municipality of Etterbeek missed out on thousands of euros in subsidies because it installed secure bicycle boxes a few metres further than agreed.

Municipalities can obtain subsidies from regional authority Brussels Mobility for the installation of bicycle parking facilities, and Etterbeek installed three new secure bicycle lockers in Rue des Aduatiques, Rue Capitaine Joubert and Rue Cardinal Lavigerie.

But the precise placement of the lockers is different from the locations referred to in the applications for subsidies.

“Applying for subsidies comes with rights and obligations, and in this case, those obligations have not been met,” said Inge Paemen, spokesperson for Brussels Mobility.

“The boxes were placed at a different location than specified in the agreement, without informing us or asking for our permission.”

Mayor Vincent De Wolf (MR) called the situation "Kafkaesque".

“The subsidies must be applied for a specific location, but after a public consultation, the bicycle box in Rue Cardinal Lavigerie was placed a little further down the same street,” De Wolf said.

“As a result, fewer parking spaces are lost and the location is safer for cyclists because it is slightly further away from the street.”

But Brussels Mobility said the subsidy was applied for a specific location and the municipality "must therefore respect this".

It added that Etterbeek also submitted its invoices too late, and certain deadlines are also linked to the subsidy.

“Rules are rules. If we have to make exceptions for everyone who needs them, then all hell will break loose,” said Paemen.

De Wolf argued that it was often difficult to meet the imposed deadlines due to the complexity of public procedures.

“In total, the financial loss for the municipality amounts to €20,000, out of a total of €50,000 for the boxes and bicycle racks,” said De Wolf.

“We always conduct a public consultation for this type of intervention and the local residents had the good suggestion to move the bicycle box a little further away, just a few house numbers down the road. It’s mind-boggling that Brussels Mobility takes offence at this, as they too should welcome citizen participation.”

De Wolf said the municipality could take legal action to still receive the subsidy, although no decision has yet been made on this.