Vienna: After a dry spell forced the city to impose a barbecue ban from 7 May, Vienna’s ombudswoman Gabriele Schwarz (ÖVP) is demanding that the city refund fees paid by people who could not use their reserved grilling spots on the Danube Island. Speaking on ORF’s “Bürgeranwalt,” Schwarz argued that when authorities prohibit grilling, residents who paid for a spot should get their money back, according to the News ORF.
Since the start of the year, anyone wishing to reserve a barbecue place on the Danube Island must pay 45 euros. The city receives around 2,300 such reservations annually. Because demand was so high, Vienna introduced an online booking system in 2008. When registering, users are told that the fee will not be refunded if a grilling ban is in force.
The department responsible, MA 45 (Vienna Waters), defends this rule by saying the reserved spot remains available to the booker and can still be used for a picnic, even if grilling is prohibited.
More than 100 people have now contacted the ombudsman’s office to complain. “This is officially blocked, and in my view the City of Vienna provides no service in such cases therefore: money back,” Schwarz said. The city counters that the charge is an administrative cost contribution and that processing refunds would create additional administrative expenses. “I do not see that effort at all,” Schwarz replied, urging the city to reconsider and simply reimburse those who could not use their booking because it was officially forbidden.
MA 45 has announced it will change the reservation system next year. In future, bookings will only be possible on a quarterly basis. Schwarz views this critically as well: “Heat does not come and say, ‘I’ll arrive in six weeks or in eight weeks’ the heatwave simply arrives.”
