A special picture, at the beginning of March. On the Stuivesantplein in Tilburg, local residents hang the Christmas lights outside again. They do this to keep the neighborhood safe. Since the beginning of January, the street lights have been going out one by one and the square is getting darker. “I thought that was becoming a bit unsafe,” says a concerned local resident.
Gijs van Abeelen hangs out of the window. Armed with a ball of Christmas lights on a flagpole, he hopes to illuminate the square again. “It is very special that it has to be done, but it was too dark with only one working lamp post.”
According to Gijs, the problem started with the street lighting near the field where dogs can be walked. “That’s where the first light bulb went out. Then it got darker and darker. We reported it to the municipality several times in an app. According to them, Enexis should solve the problem, but that has not yet been achieved.”
“I have cameras, but because it’s dark you can’t see anything.”
“It’s not that I feel unsafe, but that feeling can come in the long run,” the Tilburg citizen explains. That’s enough for him, especially when his car was broken into. “I do have cameras, but because it is so dark you can’t see anything.”
According to Gijs, the problem could be due to a short circuit as a result of the recent high water. A neighbor down the road has a different idea. “They recently renovated the park here fantastically. Maybe they accidentally hit a cable.”
“It does add atmosphere, but I prefer it in December.”
“The fun idea of the lights is nice,” says the neighbor. He expects the problem to be solved quickly. For Gijs, the solution cannot come quickly enough. Even though it looks nice, he still prefers working lighting. in front of his house. “It does add atmosphere, but I prefer it in December.”
The municipality of Tilburg announced on Sunday that they will examine the situation on Stuivesantplein.
