News / Local
BCC needs $10m to rehabilitate street lights to international standards
20 Jul 2013 at 08:27hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council needs about $10 million to rehabilitate street lights to international standards. In a statement yesterday, the council senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu said if done the rehabilitation would be cost effective to the council as energy efficient lights would be installed.
"The main thrust is to convert all the lights to LED and electromagnetic induction types technologies which are more energy efficient and can last for more than 10 years. This technology is fairly capital intensive but very beneficial in the medium to long term," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the council was facing financial constraints to maintain lighting in the city and bemoaned increased vandalism of street lights in eastern suburbs.
"The council also faces vandalism of installed lights for example the vandalism which occurred in Famona where 98 street lights were stripped of fittings completely with their aluminium brackets plunging the suburb into darkness. Cables have been stolen in Burnside and Sauerstown too," said Mrs Mpofu.
Mrs Mpofu, however, said the council had a rehabilitation programme that started in 2010, which she said had improved lighting in the city.
"Lights along Gwanda, Harare, Matopos, Plumtree, Luveve and Khami roads have been rehabilitated in addition to about 95 percent of tower lights in the western suburbs with 421 out of 443 now functional," she said.
"The council is yet to cover areas such as Richmond, Queens Park East, Northgate, Queensdale, Mahatshula South, West Summerton, Southwold and parts of Montrose."
"The main thrust is to convert all the lights to LED and electromagnetic induction types technologies which are more energy efficient and can last for more than 10 years. This technology is fairly capital intensive but very beneficial in the medium to long term," said Mrs Mpofu.
She said the council was facing financial constraints to maintain lighting in the city and bemoaned increased vandalism of street lights in eastern suburbs.
Mrs Mpofu, however, said the council had a rehabilitation programme that started in 2010, which she said had improved lighting in the city.
"Lights along Gwanda, Harare, Matopos, Plumtree, Luveve and Khami roads have been rehabilitated in addition to about 95 percent of tower lights in the western suburbs with 421 out of 443 now functional," she said.
"The council is yet to cover areas such as Richmond, Queens Park East, Northgate, Queensdale, Mahatshula South, West Summerton, Southwold and parts of Montrose."
Source - chronicle
