Just like the mayors of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, Mayor Jan Lunink van Terneuzen, who is also the head of the Zeeland Safety Zone, wants to open the terraces as quickly as possible. “Putting people in one place with a reservation is safer than gathering in public,” Lonink says of this on the radio program. News & Associates On NPO Radio 1.
Last month, Zeeland authorities were already arguing in a letter to the Cabinet to open the terraces in the coastal province. According to the parties, this is necessary because many tourists in Zealand outside are very close to each other. Lunink believes that more outdoor options will improve safety. “People still want to eat and drink something, you may be able to organize this in small steps.”
“People go outside in good weather anyway.”
Lunink: “It’s much more difficult to implement outside the stands.” According to the mayor of Zeeland, it makes sense to allow terraces to be used in an orderly way. “We are not afraid that the stands will attract a lot of people. People are out in a good atmosphere anyway.”
According to the mayor, it’s not about an economic rush, but above all to prevent crowding outside, as happened recently in parks in Randstad.
Additionally, Lonink hopes that when the stands open, there will be a greater understanding of other measures. “If people see that some space is being created in this area, they may have fewer problems taking measures in other areas.”
Tomorrow the mayor of Zealand will discuss the proposal with the heads of other security districts during the weekly security meeting. Visitor arrangements will also be discussed as part of the larger “opening plan”.
