Faulty street lights leave residents in the dark
Broken and faulty street lights have become rampant in various areas in Durban North as municipal workers fail to implement repairs.
MANY parts of Durban North have been left in darkness as municipal workers have failed to repair streetlights in the area.
One of the problem areas highlighted to the Northglen News by Durban North resident, Malcolm Staniforth, was Sunfield Place.
According to the 69-year-old resident, five streetlights along the residential road are not working, one of which, he said, has been faulty since July last year.
The irate resident said he that he had reported the defective lights to the municipality dozens of times but to date nothing has been done. He said his biggest gripe with the lack of service was the security risk the broken lights posed to the community.
“There is a frail care facility down this road and these broken streetlights leave the whole road in complete darkness, creating a security risk for everyone in the area. We are all on constant high alert at night. So when a car alarm goes off we are all panicked. The first light stopped working in July and then the second went out in August, followed by the third in September,” he said.
Other areas that have reportedly been affected include Glenashley and Glen Anil. Ward councillor, Shaun Ryley, said he had escalated the issue to the head of the electricity department, but his efforts have also garnered little response from authorities.
“It is unacceptable for repairs to take this long. Generally a five- to 10-day waiting period can be expected after such a fault has been reported, but these lights have been left unattended for months. This is a basic service and is not a major repair,” he said.
In January cable thefts also left the Virginia Circle in darkness.
