The alcohol ban currently in place in the Brussels city centre in and around the pedestrian zone will be extended by another year, the authorities decided during the city council on Monday evening.
The alcohol ban is in force 24 hours a day and was first introduced in February 2020 to prevent nuisance and promote safety in the area. The perimeter remains unchanged.
"There is currently no need to revise the perimeter," Brussels City Mayor Philippe Close told Belga News Agency, adding that so long as the problem of excessive alcohol consumption persists the ban will stay in place.
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In October last year, the ban was extended another year and the perimeter was expanded to include the entire Brussels pedestrian zone. This includes between and around the Rogier, IJzer/Yzer and Sint-Katelijne/Sainte Catherine metro stations in the city centre as well as the entire Rue Antoine Dansaert, part of the Rue du Rem des Moines and the Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains with its basketball court.
Since the ban was implemented, a total of 2,160 offences have been fined – mainly in the first year and a half, reports Bruzz. Between October 2021 and September 2022, only 267 offences were recorded. Often, it concerns homeless people who are drunk, sometimes in combination with drug use.
