City spends R2m on anti-crime lights

THE CITY is spending a hefty R2 million installing street lights on more than 7km of Vanguard Drive in a bid to turn the tide of vandalism and smash-and-grabs that have become common on that stretch of road.

The news came after a series of calls by the Western Cape Community Policing Forum (CPF) to address the crime hot spot.

CPF chairman Hanif Loonat welcomed the development.

He said the stretch most at risk was around the R300 intersection between Highlands and Vanguard Drives, in Colorado Park.

“The city has heeded our calls for a safer Vanguard Drive, and this will contribute to the security of this notorious road,” Loonat predicted.

He said they had been engaging with the city on the issue for some time.

“We realise the protocols they’ve had to follow before commencing with the work, but the city deserves the credit as they expedited the process,” he added.

City councillor Ernest Sonnenberg, mayoral committee member for utility services, said the intervention was aimed not only at curbing smashand-grabs, but also other night-time criminal activities in the area.

“It was (also) prompted by the extensive amount of cable theft we were experiencing from the poles on the side of the road,” he added.

“The installation was started (during the) last financial year and is being done over a two-year period.”

According to Sonnenberg, the department will, once the project is complete, have installed about 187 new poles, complete with fittings and cables, over an approximate 7.5km stretch.

“This is extensive work, and part of our commitment to providing the best levels of public lighting possible,” he said.

Completion of the final section was currently under way, and should be finished later this year.

Sonnenberg also called on communities to help combat vandalism and theft, which he said diverted “precious resources from delivery of new services”.

When completed, the installation will run from just after Lansdowne Road to Westgate shopping mall on Vanguard Drive.

Loonat said the lights would make motorists feel more secure – especially women, who had been specifically targeted in the area.

“More work needs to be done on security on Vanguard Drive, but this is an important start,” he said.