Disagreement over who is responsible for picking up waste at tram stops

Litter at tram stops and on the tracks in Brussels is often going unaddressed as municipalities, the region and public transport operator Stib disagree over who is responsible for cleaning it up.

The problem is especially pronounced in the municipality of Jette, where residents have observed a sharp increase in illegal dumping and litter in the streets over the past few months – particularly near the Belgica metro station and the Guillaume De Greef tram stop.

Because some streets are controlled by the municipality and others by the region, while safety concerns require Stib to oversee clean-up on tracks, rubbish often goes uncollected.

Public sanitation agency Bruxelles Propreté tries to pick up the slack in small parks and green strips alongside regional roads even though they are not authorised to do so, but a lack of personnel prohibits them from doing so thoroughly.

Efforts from citizens collectives likewise try to fill in the gaps but find themselves overwhelmed.

“We also see institutional confusion in other neighbourhoods in Brussels, especially where regional and municipal roads meet,” said Anna Trzop of one such collective.

“The result is that people dump their rubbish in the street because they know they won't be fined. And local residents don't know who exactly they should call.”

Sources told Bruzz that several municipal councils in Brussels try to pass the buck to Stib for clean-up operations, either out of political opportunism or because the mayor or the municipal service is sincerely convinced that some tram zones and tram beds should be maintained by Stib.

Bruxelles Propreté employees also often refer citizens’ complaints about dirty tram stops to Stib, but the public transport operator said it was clear that the municipal or regional road managers are responsible for the cleanliness of the tram tracks and tram stops.

“We are a mobility service,” said Stib spokesperson Guy Sablon.

“Some municipalities ask us for a green bed when rebuilding tram tracks. We then warn them in advance: realise that maintenance is your job and that your parks department will have more work than with an asphalt bed.”

But Trzop and the citizens' collective say the finger-pointing must give way to a solution, as people who litter and illegally dump waste are taking advantage of the disagreement.

“We’re calling for a clear division of responsibilities between the municipalities and the region,” Trzop said.

“It’s annoying that we as citizens have to figure this out in our spare time. The most important thing is that clarity is needed: who is now authorised for what? We pay high taxes, so we also want a clean city. The current situation is unworthy of the capital of Europe.”