The collective action had been announced and is taking place this Thursday morning, three days before the municipal elections. Early in the morning, several dozen traders gathered on the Anderlecht thoroughfare. The street was blocked by pallets, blocking trams and buses for an hour before the intervention, in the calm of the police. The demonstrators were quickly joined by passers-by who shared their concerns.
The shopping street has undergone extensive redevelopment under this legislature. A year and a half after the end of the work, the findings of the traders are bitter. Abdel Ferraj, one of the organizers of the event, has been present on Wayez Street for 15 years with his shoe store. “Since the reopening of the street, around twenty businesses have closed. Some have been bought and some buyers have already left. We were promised that the tram would be reinforced, that customers would come with other means of transport than the car but, in fact, our turnover has fallen by 50%. Around him, neighbors confirm: “we are fighting to barely make 500 euros a day.”
In their sights, the removal of parking spaces and changes in traffic direction: “Customers no longer know how to come here with one-way streets or closed streets (like rue François Janssens). For the cafes, many customers are self-employed people who pass by to do some shopping between two work sites. They don’t know how to come anymore.”
And for those who manage to access the street, “It’s a war for parking. We were left with around thirty places and delivery places which turn into places for customers in the afternoon. This is clearly not enough. We were promised parking at La Vaillance, we are still waiting for it. In the meantime, we are drowning under charges, very high rents, personnel costs… Unemployment looms if the situation continues.”
Many notice that customers from Dilbeek or Sint-Pieters-Leeuw no longer make the trip. “We just want customers, by car, by bike or on horseback, that’s not the problem, but the fact is that customers who consume and have purchasing power do not come from the neighborhood and come by car.”
Westland competition
Those gathered this Thursday morning also denounce competition from Westland: “it seems that politicians are doing everything for shopping. They have increased their parking spaces, there is free 1 hour parking if you have the app. Rue Wayez, it’s 3.50 euros for the first hour. Who would come here for coffee when parking is more expensive than the drink?”
If they believe that the outgoing majority turned a deaf ear to their demands during the redevelopment of the street, pointing in particular to Ecolo who has Mobility in his skills, the demonstrators above all want to send a message “to the future mayor.” Here, we block the street for an hour, but for us, our whole life is at stake,” continues the organizer.
On site, a few days before the electoral deadline, the various parties in the running did not fail to show up. An elected Green official recognizes a lack of coordination. “The Stib was putting pressure on to change the rails and carry out a redevelopment. We are often singled out, but Economic Development and Business are socialist skills. We had to hear the merchants’ requests and we must always hear them and propose solutions.”
Abdel has one, “If major work to bring back parking is not possible right away, let’s open Place de la Résistance to parking. This place is empty and that would relieve businesses.” The message is sent to the next municipal council which will therefore have the discontent of one of the commercial lungs of the municipality to resolve.
Inauguration of the new rue Wayez: for certain Anderlecht traders, “the town has not kept its promises”
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