KSAC approves resolution for street light repairs

Residents across the Corporate Area who wish to pay to repair street lights in their communities now have the opportunity to do so formally, following the passage of a Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) resolution on Tuesday.

The resolution, which was moved by Councillor Ian Telfer of the Hughenden Division during the council's monthly meeting at its Church Street offices, downtown Kingston, was approved by 16 of 26 councillors voting on the matter, following a lengthy debate. Three councillors abstained.

In his argument, Telfer noted that functioning street lights are vital to ensuring the security of citizens. He pointed out that many crimes are committed under the cover of darkness.

"The primary function of our street lights is to provide security. Given our challenges with crime, the importance of having functional street lights cannot be overstated. Our mothers, sisters, aunts, and all females oftentimes are robbed and raped on account of defective street lights," he stressed.

In noting that it is currently illegal for street lights to be repaired by citizens as this amounts to trespassing on the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Limited's works, Telfer said the resolution seeks to facilitate the residents in this regard.

He lamented that some residents have, on occasion, replaced defective street lights with lights of their own, only to have these removed by the JPS.

The councillor argued that since the KSAC, which has the responsibility for ensuring that street lights are functional and maintained, and the JPS, which has been contracted to repair and maintain the street lights, both have major financial challenges in keeping these operational, the resolution aims to accommodate citizens who wish to carry out repairs with their own resources.

He, however, gave the assurance that "this resolution in no way, shape, or form seeks to shift the burden of responsibility of maintaining street lights from the JPS or the KSAC".

The resolution also states that it is understandable that the KSAC and the JPS cannot allow private citizens to add street lights to the grid as this would create even greater problems of maintenance and accountability in addition to increasing operational costs.