A resident of Almere has been fined 259 euros because the charging cable of his hybrid car runs over the sidewalk. This has been banned in Almere since the beginning of this year, but it is tolerated in many other municipalities.
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Radjesh Karia from Almere is at odds with the municipality because of charging his electric car. He was fined, among other things, 259 euros, which he believes is not justified. He loads according to Broadcasting Flevoland his hybrid car since 2017 and that was never a problem.
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In order not to be a nuisance to his neighbors, Radjesh says he used special rubber blocks that he placed over the cord on the sidewalk, so that no one could trip over them. In May of this year, he received a letter from the municipality stating that he had to have a special gutter built for the cable. Radesh says he paid 181 euros to the municipality for the construction of that gutter, but it never came.
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However, he was fined 259 euros last week because of the cord on the sidewalk. According to the municipality, the fine has now been put ‘on hold’ because it is being investigated whether the fine was issued after the application for the cable duct was made, according to Omroep Flevoland. When this is the case, Karia no longer has to pay the fine. If he has already done this, he will get that money back.
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‘Own responsibility’
A spokesperson for the municipality reports to Omroep Flevoland that enforcement is in place to protect charging cable users. According to him, they are responsible for the damage themselves if people trip over it.
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According to the knowledge platform CROW, which advises municipalities on this subject, a cable over the sidewalk is no different from a legal point of view than when you vacuum your car with an extension cord over your sidewalk. “They are therefore not the responsibility of the municipality,” a CROW spokesperson reported last year on the NOS. “The owner of the car and the home to which the cord runs is responsible for its safety.”
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The policy regarding loose charging cables on the sidewalk differs per municipality. Since the beginning of this year it has been prohibited in Almere to lay a loose cable over the sidewalk and many other cities have such a ban, but in other municipalities it is allowed – often under certain conditions. If you want to know how things are in your place of residence, it is best to contact the municipality.
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