Queenswood residents tired of dark streets

Kilner Park and Queenswood residents feel that broken streetlights in the area, which leave large stretches of roads in complete darkness at night, are a major safety concern.

One of their primary concerns is the circle on CR Swart Road which sees a lot of traffic passing through every day.

This circle is completely dark at night and makes driving extremely dangerous.

The lights from this circle all the way down to Hardy Muller Road and the tollgate are not functional.

Ward councillor Roche Grebe said the broken lights make the area extremely unsafe at night.

Grebe said it is especially dangerous at night by the toll gate for cars due to the high amount of traffic.

He said he has been reporting the problem since last year November but very little has been done to resolve the issue.

“The metro has responded to our complaints on a few occasions, but when they come and fix the lights, it’s only a couple of weeks until they are out again,” he said.

Although Grebe could not say for sure that the streetlights have led to an increase in accidents in the area, it has definitely made the road a lot more dangerous.

“I have driven here at night and you can’t see a thing. This circle makes it even riskier,” he said.

He added that he has also received reports about workers being harassed and robbed when walking to and from work.

Resident Jan van Vuuren said residents of Queenswood have become very frustrated with the situation.

“This has been going on for six or seven years now,” he said.

“The metro comes to fix the lights only for them to be off again the next day.

“Some of the lights also burn during the day which is a complete waste of electricity.

“We pay our rates and taxes only to not get the services we are promised.”

Van Vuuren, who lives close to the train tracks, said the dark streets have made their area less safe and many are living in fear.

“They [criminals] steal cables here and it is made so much easier for them with the lights off.”

Jeanette Gagiano, Secretary of the Queenswood Residents Association, said that many residents are too afraid to leave their homes during the night.

Gagiano said she has also observed an increase in house break-ins.

“We aren’t safe here anymore,” she said.

“We want to keep our elderly safe, but that’s not possible when it’s pitch dark outside every night.”

Gagiano also said that some residents have considered moving out of Queenswood due to safety concerns.

She also said that reporting the problem often feels like a waste of time due to a lack of a satisfying response from the metro.

“Something needs to be done. It’s very frustrating to see this problem just go on without anything being done.”

Grebe said residents just want their areas to be safe again and feel that they can walk outside at night.

He also wants to avoid any major accidents from happening due to the dark streets.

Comment from the metro will be published once it has been received.

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