The Brussels municipality of Forest has the poorest coverage of automatic cash dispensers in the capital, with just a single ATM for its 28,862 residents, a study by hub.brussels has highlighted.
Shopping districts such as Sablon, Marolles, Uccle’s Saint-Job neighbourhood and Chaussée de Ninove also rank poorly for ATM availability.
The public agency investigated whether the ATM network in Brussels meets federal criteria agreed with banking operators, which outline the requirements for ATM locations. Their study found that while most criteria (such as accessibility, operating hours and deposit capabilities) were met, Brussels suffers from a distinct lack of ATMs and stark disparities between districts.
To meet the federal limit of 2,500 residents per ATM, the Brussels-Capital Region would need an additional 87 machines to the 410 counted in June 2023, hub.brussels remarked.
Their field team conducted around 2,000 surveys among shoppers and traders and found that 80% carried cash and 90% had used ATMs in the past three months. Cash remains as popular as paying by card, particularly for purchases made in local commercial environments.
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Many businesses expressed their preference for cash transactions due to the additional fees that sometimes come with card payments. A large number of traders are unaware of the true cost of these electronic payments on their businesses.
Furthermore, over half of traders use ATMs to deposit money. The greater the distance between their business and the nearest machine, the greater the safety concerns.
“Both businesses and consumers stand to benefit from a more equitable distribution of ATMs across Brussels,” said hub.brussels CEO, Isabelle Grippa. “By ensuring that every neighbourhood has fair access to cash, we can strengthen the local economy and foster an environment where business interactions can thrive inclusively.”
