Public lighting in Mortsel will burn longer again, Fluvius starts switchover (Mortsel)

Fluvius will start switching over traditional public lighting in Mortsel this week. The light posts with LED lighting were already adapted at the end of last year to switch on again after midnight.

Due to the energy crisis, the Mortsel city council decided at the end of 2022 to switch off public lighting in residential areas after midnight. Because electricity rates fell and several residents made it clear that they wanted more light at night, the board announced in October 2023 that it would turn on the public lighting again.

This could be done quickly for fixtures with LED lighting, which are present in thirty percent of residential streets. Classical lighting hangs in the other residential streets. Fluvius, as the owner of public lighting, must replace the control box for each lighting pole separately. In Mortsel this concerns 1,500 lighting poles.

Insist on Fluvius

Because many cities and municipalities in Flanders have this intervention carried out, Mortsel had to wait until Fluvius could get started. “Fluvius and their subcontractors were only able to carry out these works for us in April, despite our repeated insistence that this be carried out earlier. We understand that they cannot be everywhere at the same time, but now we are happy that it is finally Mortsel’s turn,” says Mayor Erik Broeckx (N-VA).

The city wants to gradually equip its entire public lighting with LED lighting. New devices with LED lighting are equipped with a communication module and are easier to use. Lighting can then easily be dimmed, which is an advantage for energy consumption and light pollution. It uses 45 percent less energy than a classic lamp.

Public lighting on major roads and cycle paths is always on at night and will remain that way. (fisp)