It has been raining thousands of fines in Tilburg’s Nieuwlandstraat since last year. Hundreds of people objected, but still had to pay the fine. But now eight objections have suddenly been declared well-founded by the judiciary. Jeroen Jaspers of the Tilburg legal advice center is surprised. “I really can’t explain this.”
The soap around the Nieuwlandstraat in Tilburg started last June. The municipality wants the Dwaalgebied to be car-free and has placed a driving ban near the side street with Korte Tuinstraat. You can only drive through it between six and eleven o’clock in the morning and if you have an exemption.
According to many motorists, the entry ban was not clearly indicated. The municipality also adjusted the traffic signs and pavement in the meantime. This happened after a real rain of fines arose in the first two months of the driving ban: about 4000 fines of 159 euros.
“I sent eight boxes of objections, but they all came back.”
In particular, these interim adjustments were a reason for many motorists and the Tilburg Legal Advice Center to file an objection with the judiciary. “I sent boxes full of objections. They all came back rejected in recent weeks,” says Jeroen Jaspers of the legal aid shop.
‘Unfortunately peanut butter’ thought Jaspers, but to his surprise, two objections were suddenly granted last week and a few more this week. “The explanation is that the public prosecutor cannot make a proper assessment based on the information that is available.”
“No one can explain why the fines are suddenly off the table.”
Jaspers doesn’t understand. “The situation and the objections are exactly the same as those that were previously rejected.” Naturally, he contacted the Public Prosecution Service. “No one there can explain to me why the fines are suddenly off the table.” According to him, it seems as if someone at the judiciary has ‘woke up’ and realizes that something was really wrong on Nieuwlandstraat.
The rejected objections have already been submitted to the subdistrict court so that it can rule on them, but the legal advice center is now sending the well-founded objections. “I especially hope that the subdistrict court will bring the case forward and deal with everything in one go. That saves everyone a lot of time and energy.”
“The Public Prosecution Service must be very good at explaining this.”
The lawyer of the legal advice center expects the judge to be very critical of the Public Prosecution Service. “They must come from very good families to explain this.” Because Jaspers believes that if eight objectors are proven right, all objectors are entitled to this.
“I really did not expect this and hope that all objectors of those first two ‘unclear months’ on Nieuwlandstraat will be found in the right,” concludes the lawyer. If that happens, it will save the treasury more than 53,000 euros.
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