Boatmen on Bruges canals talk too loud

No boats on the canals in Bruges today, but when the weather is nice there are quite a few sailing around. And that causes noise nuisance, says former journalist Rik Vanwallghem, who himself does not want to respond in front of the camera. He wants to wait for the planned consultation between the city and the shipping companies next week.

“Every shipping company already has at least one electric boat. We notice that people who are now explaining on an electric boat already make less ‘noise’ than boatswains on an old motorboat because they have to talk louder to get above the sound of the engine “, says Mieke Hoste, alderman for tourism in Bruges.

“We will monitor this closely and consult properly with the shipping companies and see how we can come to a solution.”