After 30 years of pleading with the municipality, the residents of Greenwich Street in Pefferville are finally receiving a much needed street light.
The street light, which is a four-pronged floodlight, took two weeks to erect, from January 15, due to inclement weather. Though the infrastructure is up, residents say the light is not yet operational and have not been told when the municipality will connect the energy supply.
Despite this, resident Geraldine Ruiters said she is very pleased as residents in Greenwich have endured security threats over the years due to the absence of street lights.
“Without lights it’s like living in a jungle here.
“I even gave birth outside in the dark without the street lights and the child I gave birth to is now 30 years old. It was so dark I was more afraid of the darkness than of giving birth.
“Me and my mother have been robbed countless times here in the dark. I was robbed on my way from work in 2010.
“I had received my stipend in an envelope on that day and I was walking from the top of the road down to my house.
“Three thugs approached me in the dark, carrying a panga and they proceeded to strip me of all my valuables including my wages.
“Ever since then I never walked around at night here. It is people that live amongst us that use the absence of street lights to their advantage to attack us.”
Another resident, Shirley Prins said, “We are living in fear here. My cousin’s daughter was shot here in the darkness for her phone and she had to have surgery which has caused her to become disabled.
“There is an ATM at the top of the street by the petrol station that people use to withdraw their money but the thugs are waiting for them at the end of the street and in the darkness, they get away with these things.
“I can tell you all the people in Greenwich Street are very happy about the street light because with lights we will be able to better ensure our security and safety here.”
Both Prins and Ruiters said that, in addition to the street lights, Pefferville is need of a police station and more residential participation in the community policing forum.
“Our mental health will also improve once the light goes on because we won’t be as scared anymore and the thugs will be deterred from using our area as a hotspot” said Prins.
BCMM was approached for comment regarding when the light would be connected but no reply was issued at the time of writing.
