The decision to turn off the lights along Dutch motorways is costing rather than saving money, the AD reports on Thursday.

The AD says the government’s road department has to pay hundreds of thousands of euros to specialists to switch on the lights by hand during roadworks and when there have been serious accidents.

The government hoped turning off the lights would save €35m by 2020. Now it transpires turning the lights off is generating some €600,000 a year but putting them back on when needed will cost at least €2m.

Warnings

Even before the switch-off began in September, civil servants had warned about likely savings, the AD says.

Officials have no plans to reverse the current situation and say work is underway to ensure all the lighting can be controlled at regional traffic centres. This is due to be completed in June.

Criticism by road safety experts has already forced transport minister Melanie Schultz to put the lights out at 23.00 hours rather than 21.00 hours.