Technical and safety requirements are limiting the number of ATMs which can be installed in neighbourhoods across Belgium, Belang van Limburg VRT reports.
A spokesperson for Batopin, the network of cash machines launched by major banks KBC, ING, BNP Paribas Fortis and Belfius in 2020, said that finding suitable locations is complicated by the specific requirements of ATMs.
Batopin is responsible for installing cash points in Belgium. They are not linked to a specific bank and anyone can withdraw money, regardless of their bank.
"There are currently active 500 cash points in Belgium," spokesperson Julie Kerremans told VRT. She added that finding the right properties for ATM locations is not always easy. She explained that in some areas it is hard to find a location because properties must meet many technical and safety requirements.
Cash points are increasingly hard to find in Belgium and there have been calls for greater transparency on how ATMs are distributed. Batopin data shows that across the country barely 58% of municipalities have a cash point available. This problem is especially prevalent in Wallonia, but there are also black spots in coverage in several Antwerp municipalities.
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Batopin has assessed 11,000 properties in recent years but often no suitable premises were identified. The search is especially challenging in Boom, Grimbergen, Kampenhout, Londerzeel, Ronse, Waasmunster and Zedelgem.
Marino Keulen (Open VLD) – mayor of Lanaken, where it is difficult to find ATM locations – has suggested that the machines could be placed in public squares, removing some of the requirements that buildings must meet.
"You can easily park around squares and there is social control from residents, which can prevent ATM bombings. That is an advantage for the banks, because people can then withdraw their money safely," Keulen explained to VRT. Batopin still aims to have 970 cash points across the country by the end of 2025.
