Comment 57

Most Kommetjie residents do not see street lighting as important because we have virtually no foot traffic at night on our roads. Vehicles do not need the light from street lights, as they are equipped with their own lights.

We see traffic calming measures as important and would prefer funding resources to be directed to safer roads for all, by CoCT.

We feel these street lights should be moved and would probably be more beneficial to communities where a lot of crimes happen at night, like in Mitchells Plein, or Khayelitsha.

Many of us are passionate about the night sky, and do not want light pollution that will affect us seeing the stars.

“Light pollution leads to the rapid decline of insect populations, according to the most comprehensive review of the scientific evidence to date. Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects’ lives, the researchers said, from luring moths to their deaths around bulbs, to spotlighting insect prey for rats and toads, to obscuring the mating signals of fireflies. “We strongly believe artificial light at night – in combination with habitat loss, chemical pollution, invasive species, and climate change – is driving insect declines,” the scientists concluded after assessing more than 150 studies. “We posit here that artificial light at night is another important – but often overlooked – bringer of the insect apocalypse.”   As we know insects are an important part of the food chain and essential for nutrient recycling and pollination.

We are conscious both of a somewhat fragile national / regional electricity grid and the need to conserve energy while limiting carbon emissions. While aware that new lights would be more efficient we point out that they would still be grid connected and therefore be a liability paid for by the rate base.