Public lighting should only be switched off where that is consistent with road safety, Flemish Mobility and Public Works Minister Lydia Peeters said on Thursday in the Flemish Parliament.
“Safety prevails at all times,” the Open VLD minister stressed at a session of the parliament's committee on mobility.
Minister Peeters said she had received several requests to switch off lights to save on energy. However, she stressed that she was against simply turning lights off along roads managed by the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV) since safety needed to be taken into consideration at all times.
"So we are not just going to switch off all lights everywhere," Peeters said. "Regional roads have a high intensity and traffic function. Moreover, motorised traffic often comes into contact with active road users. Safety prevails at all times.”
“The principle for our regional roads is essentially the same as on motorways: turn off where possible, light up where necessary," the minister added. "Nobody wants their daughter or son cycling along an unlit exit or regional road.”
