During the bustling Gentse Feesten, tens of portable toilets and urinals are spread throughout the festival zone to meet visitor needs. Despite these facilities, wild urination remains a persistent issue, with many attendees ignoring available toilets. On 2025-07-20 17:41:00, police statistics revealed a surge in fines for public urination, highlighting ongoing challenges.
- Police issue 108 fines for public urination
- Each fine costs 120 euros per offender
- Gent provides many toilets during Feesten
- Wild urination occurs near churches, police station
- Police urge visitors to use available toilets
- Past events saw over 1,000 fines issued
Over just two days, the Gent police issued 108 GAS fines to both men and women caught urinating in public, each fined €120. This totals nearly €13,000 in penalties, underscoring the city’s strict stance against such behaviour during the festivities. But why do some visitors still choose to ignore the ample toilet provisions?
As the Gentse Feesten attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, managing public behaviour remains crucial. The police urge everyone to use the provided toilets to avoid fines and keep the celebrations enjoyable for all. So, what is the impact of these fines and how effective are the current measures?
Is the availability of toilets enough to curb public urination? Apparently not, as the police continue to confront this issue annually. Key points include:
- 750 fines issued last year, with totals exceeding 1,000 in previous years
- Fines cost €120 each, amounting to substantial revenue and deterrence
- Some offenders disrespect sacred and official buildings, even cleaning penalties are enforced
- Police emphasize quick access to toilets as the best prevention
Looking ahead, festival organisers and authorities must enhance awareness campaigns and possibly increase toilet accessibility. Will visitors heed the warnings and help keep Gent’s streets clean? Only time will tell, but the message is clear: use the toilets or face the fines.
