Reducing Metro Vibration Nuisances in Brussels: Stib’s Efforts and Legal Action

2023-11-16 15:12:00

Faced with the avalanche of complaints, the Stib announced at the beginning of the year that it was doing everything possible to reduce the problems. With in particular the grinding of the wheels and a specific system for detecting wheels with abnormal wear causing vibrations.

We are reminded that, since then, the situation has improved in some places… but not everywhere. In Woluwe-Saint-Lambert in particular. So much so that the municipality, exasperated, decided to take the Stib and the Brussels Region to court “for the damage caused by excessive neighborhood disturbance.”

“These residents are going through hell”: in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Benoît Cerexhe presses the Brussels Region

“No one is tackling this problem head-on”

According to the Woluwean authorities, the measures taken by the Stib “did not make it possible to eliminate the nuisance in a lasting manner.” With this legal action, the idea would be to force the Stib to accelerate the replacement of the trains or, by for example, prohibiting the passage of certain vehicles at night.

“It’s unbearable for the residents, they feel abandoned,” comments mayor Olivier Maingain (Défi). “We have the feeling that no one is tackling this problem head-on.” Woluwe hopes in particular, through this trial, to obtain a solid study from a legal expert. A year ago, one-off analyzes were already carried out by Brussels Environment, and confirmed vibration nuisances at night. But, for Maingain, these studies are not sufficient and more complete monitoring is needed.

More generally, Brussels is sorely lacking, according to the former president of Défi, a regulatory framework for underground nuisances. A sort of “Gosuin decree” for vibrations.

“Still a little patience”

For its part, the Stib defends itself and ensures that the situation has improved.” We are doing everything we can to resolve the problem as quickly and permanently as possible. We devote real energy to it. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to reduce the nuisance suffered by local residents with whom we are in contact and from whom we ask for a little more patience.”

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