Belgium Parking Meters Cash Ban: Mohamed’s Fight for Digital Exclusion

Surprise quickly gave way to investigation. This resident of Woluwe-Saint-Lambert was shocked to discover the impossibility of inserting coins into his neighborhood’s parking meter. While the municipal regulation still authorized this payment method in 2020, a discreet modification of article 6 eliminated this option as of October 2021. Determined to get answers, this tenacious citizen invoked article 32 of the Constitution to access administrative documents, as explained by La DH.

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The official figures released by the administration are surprising. Updating 109 terminals to remove the coin mechanism and integrate contactless payment consumed over 204,000 euros. This contract, won by French company Flowbird, includes a maintenance agreement billed at 186,000 euros over three years. By May 2025, the fleet had fallen to 85 active devices, bringing the total cost to 4,590 euros per parking meter, a sum borne by taxpayers.

To justify this shift, local authorities first invoked the threat of vandalism. An excuse dismissed by local police, who confirm that no coin theft from a parking meter has resulted in a report since 2016. Caught out, the municipality then cited the safety of its enforcement staff, claiming no legal obligation to maintain cash payments. It even invites those opposed to park in blue zones, located further away.

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This policy raises questions about the place of elderly or digitally disconnected people in public spaces. "It’s not about rejecting progress, but understanding why an existing option was eliminated," complains Mohamed Azouzi, who points out that a rule that came into force in March 2024 theoretically requires the maintenance of cash payments. Financially, the municipality refuses to clarify the revenue generated by these new terminals, while enforcement vehicles have already issued 20,000 parking violation tickets in four years.