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Transport minister says SNCB must not ban bikes in rush-hour
Belgium's federal transport minister, François Bellot, has said he will not allow the SNCB to go ahead with a plan to ban non-folding bicycles from rush-hour trains.
The Belgian rail operator announced last week that it would introduce the ban from next February, because bikes were causing congestion and delays on trains which were "increasingly full".
The news angered cyclists' associations, who argued that the SNCB should be encouraging commuters to use their bikes, not the opposite.
Responding to a parliamentary question, the transport minister said: "I do not agree with this proposed strategy, or with how the decision was made."
Bellot has asked the SNCB to provide an in-depth analysis of what the problems with bicycles are, and to come up with other solutions. He said any changes would have to be made in consultation with cyclists' and commuters' associations.
Many of Belgium's newer trains come with a multi-functional space for bicycles, wheelchairs and pushchairs, Bellot added.
Ecolo member of parliament Sarah Schlitz said the SNCB should be "part of the solution" in addressing road congestion and climate change.