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Sablon restaurateur says move away from city centre is due to Brussels' traffic plan
The owner of Le Rabassier, a high-end restaurant in the Sablon neighbourhood of Brussels, has said he will have to move the restaurant to Uccle due to the capital’s new mobility plan.
The region-wide mobility plan, called Good Move, aims to reduce Brussels’ exceptionally bad traffic congestion and air pollution, both of which are having major impacts on residents' quality of life.
This is being done, in part, through changes to road infrastructure designed to lower the number of polluting vehicles passing through densely populated parts of the city.
“My customers tell me themselves, they will no longer come to my restaurant,” Le Rabassier’s owner Christophe Durieux told BX1. “It is becoming unbearable. I've lost 80% of my clientele.”
Le Rabassier is located in the heart of Brussels on a charming cobblestone pedestrianised street. It is a one-minute walk from the Grand Sablon bus station, a four-minute walk from the Petit Sablon tram stop, and an eight-minute walk from Brussels Central rail and metro stations.
But Durieux said his customers had complained about inconveniences when it comes to accessing the restaurant by car via the inner ring road. He will therefore close the current location on 31 October.
“We have found another location near the Wolvendael park in Uccle,” Durieux said. He believes that “many other restaurants in the centre are likely to do the same thing as us”.
Good Move has faced increasing opposition as of late, including threats of violence from constituents against politicians who support its initiatives.
Comments
The restaurant owner is not to blame, it is the customers who show prove of an inflexibility and a very limited willingness to face the problem that we are facing! Sablon is a location very well served by public transport. It just takes a bit of creative thinking to find a way to get there. There are taxis, Uber and a bit of walking has not hurt anybody! Being an elderly person, I appreciate the driving a car because it is a comfortable way to get to places and of traveling long distances with language. However, when I am in Brussels my car sits in the garage and use the buses and the tram, which provide an excellent service in Brussels! People will have to move and change their habits if our cities are to become livable, agreeable places for people to rather than abandoned to cars!
The restaurant owner is not to blame, it is the customers who show prove of an inflexibility and a very limited willingness to deal with the problems of pollution that we are facing! Sablon is a location very well served by public transport. It just takes a bit of creative thinking to find a way to get there. There are taxis, Uber and a bit of walking has not hurt anybody! Being an elderly person, I appreciate driving a car because it is a comfortable way to get to places and of traveling long distances with luggage. However, when I am in Brussels my car sits in the garage and I use the buses and the tram, which provide an excellent service in Brussels!
Why do the politicians currently running Brussels think that causing massive traffic jams all day long is going to bring about lower pollution levels? Do they ever consult professional traffic engineers before indulging themselves in their various anti-vehicle whims? I am one of those people who now avoid going into downtown Brussels for anything. And to Palastlover: How safe do you think it is for an elderly person to be out walking at night or be alone waiting at a bus or tram stop in Brussels?
The same argument was used for the Anspach & de Broukere pedestrian zones...every store with signs complaining it would kill off commerce.....how wrong they were. The tansformation is making Brussels one of the most liveable cities in Europe....keep up the good work.....Also get out of your cars and Bike or walk.....its a pretty amazing city we have