Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- Traders and residents in the Wayezstraat in Anderlecht are gradually losing their patience. Since October last year, their street is no longer accessible due to work. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep up this situation.”
Fouzia lives in a side street of the Wayezstraat and it takes a long time for her to finish the renovation work. “It will be difficult to take the children to school. I also do my shopping on foot, but that is really difficult,” she said to a BRUZZ reporter.
Inaccessibility
For Nadine Bauwens, manager of the shoe store ‘Wayez Shoes’, a household name in the area, the works are causing a drop in turnover. “My customers are mainly elderly people or people with reduced mobility. They are now facing a lot of obstacles, shopping is no longer an option,” she explains.
According to Bauwens, the works come on top of other problems for the shopkeepers, such as the war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the corona crisis. She survives thanks to the bank loans.
Still positive. . .
Mustafa is responsible for the Bio-Basic shop. He has also noticed that his customers no longer come as they used to. “That has led to a loss of about 30 to 40 percent. I don’t know how much longer I can sustain this situation.”
For now, Mustafa is not losing his temper. He asked his suppliers to pay later and reduce the number of low yield products. “In time, these works will give the street a new impetus and perhaps attract new customers.” Still, not a day goes by that he doesn’t pray that things move quickly.
Improving public space
In turn, STIB understands the difficult situation faced by merchants and residents. “A construction site is never pleasant for traders and residents,” says An Van hamme, STIB spokeswoman. According to her, these works will improve the public space. “With more greenery and more punctual public transport after the end of the works.”
Susanne Müller-Hübsch (Green) also understands the frustrations caused by the works, but emphasises that the yard is well on schedule. “I understand that people are fed up – this is a construction site that has indeed been going on for a long time – but things are progressing well. We’re not stuck anywhere, the equipment and staff are there, and we’re even a little ahead of schedule. can reassure people: this is not going to be a dead yard and people will see that.”
Summer 2023
The new tram tracks are almost completely finished. Tram 81 must run again by March 2023. A few months later, by the summer of next year, the yard should be completely finished. “The footpaths are not quite ready yet. That should be the case by the summer,” said the aldermen. “People will already get the feeling that the site is finished. Between Dapperheidsplein and Verzetsplein, for example, one side is already finished and people park there again.”
The municipality of Anderlecht also emphasises that they do not leave the traders to their fate. For example, the municipality has drawn up a support program and a municipal manager has an office on Dapperheidsplein. Local residents and traders can go there every day for complaints and questions. “That manager helped the traders to apply for financial support from the region,” Müller-Hübsch said. “For example, we have had a point of contact in the neighbourhood since the start of the project, so that contact is quick and we can intervene quickly where necessary.”
