Why street lights may be on during the day

GEORGE NEWS - In recent months, there has been an increasing number of queries about street lights being on during daylight hours, with some concerned about how this would affect tax payers.

According to municipal communications officer Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe, it happens due to various factors impacting on the central computer system that controls most streetlights in George.

Optic fibre network:
The computer system is dependent on an overhead fibre-optic network to carry the initial control signals to the main substations where it is then transmitted on the mains supply.

Some of these fibre-optic cables were vandalised, meaning that the signals cannot be sent to the main substations.

"As an interim solution, our technical team installed high-speed radio links to assist with this. The fibre-optic cables are in the process of being repaired and/or replaced with underground cables, where possible, which will be less prone to vandalism," he said.

Maintenance:
Another reason for streetlights to be switched on is maintenance. Maintenance teams would switch the control circuit on for repairs on streetlights, and it sometimes happens that the automatic switchover function (that switches the lights off in the day) is not reactivated when the work is completed.

Faulty control system:
The control circuit that auto-matically switches the lights on and off could be faulty and therefore not able to control a certain section of streetlights.

Theft and vandalism:
The cost of keeping relatively small stretches of lights burning pales against the astronomical amounts it takes to replace the same length of stolen cable and vandalised equipment. Keeping the lights on might seem like a waste of electricity, but the electrical department does have good reasons for doing so, and the benefits of keeping them on far outweigh the benefits of switching them off, especially for protection against said vandalism and theft.

"It is also important for residents to remember that the newer LED-type streetlights are very efficient and of low energy consumption. The impact of the lights burning is not as big as it might seem."

However, Mangqwengqwe says that generally, if streetlights are on during the day for more than a one-day cycle, please report it during office hours to 044 801 9222 / 044 874 3917 / 044 801 9202.

Alternatively, WhatsApp it to 067 350 3295 (available Monday to Friday 07:45 to 16:30) so that the department can go and investigate.

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