Residents fume over Newcastle’s dead street lights
Concerns are growing over non-functional street lights which have left most suburbs in the dark.
The affected areas include Arbor Park, Amajuba Park, and parts of Signal and Aviary Hill and residents fear that once the sun sets the darkness makes them even more vulnerable to opportunistic criminals.
Frustrated residents have spoken out saying the dud street lights pose a danger to pedestrians and motorists.
“It isn’t just an inconvenience but an issue of safety. After dark is dangerous for us all and makes us vulnerable to criminal activities,” said a concerned resident of Arbor Park, who recently was targeted by criminals.
Despite numerous complaints to the municipality, residents claim that little has been done to repair the lights, leaving them to question whether or not the municipality cares for its residents.
Pet poisoning has also become prevalent in Arbor Park, adding to the criminal activity in the area.
In three weeks, two residents reported that their dogs had been poisoned (and subsequently died) in a prelude to crimes being committed.
“Crime in our area has increased over the past few months, and I am convinced it is because our suburb is such an easy target because it is in almost complete darkness most of the time,” the Arbor Park resident told the Advertiser. “It is time the municipality gets their act together and starts fixing up our town before it is too late.”
Residents called on the municipality to prioritise street light repairs across town as soon as possible and to provide a plausible reason why community safety and basic service delivery have declined over the past few years.
The Newcastle Advertiser sent an official media inquiry to the Newcastle municipality’s Communication Department to address these concerns; however, no official response had been received by the time of going to print.
In the meantime, residents experiencing non-functional street lights in their suburbs are urged to send us an email at ncschools@caxton.co.za or send us a WhatsApp on 082 874 5550.
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