Money over safety

Money over safety
Written by Mireille Toddington
Monday, 07 November 2011 14:34
The city of Pilar has shut down 1,300 points of light across the borough in a measure aimed at cutting spending by nearly 20 percent. The move represents an annual savings of more than 180,000 euros, but in a move that cuts supply of street lights in half, some believe that public safety during the long winter nights could pay the price.

Councillors in the municipality of Pilar de la Horadada are heralding the annual saving of 180,000 euros by switching off 1,300 street lights in various areas of the municipality as a huge success for the borough. The initiative was launched by the Councillor for Infrastructure Ivan Romero, who described the measure as fundamental “to the need to lower municipal spending”. The councillor reiterated that Pilar is in a “very bad economic situation and cannot afford to spend a million euros in lighting alone”.
The decrease, which represents almost 20 percent, will see about 50 percent of street lighting reduced in the midnight hours in areas such as the marina, Las Ramblas, Pillar high street and the pavements linking the neighbourhood of La Cañada. The supply has been cut from the points of light in urbanisations and urban centres in Pilar and Torre de la Horadada, especially where there is very little building. In addition to losing certain street lights the measure will also see other street lights dimmed, minimising output and therefore making further cost savings.

The councillor said: “Our management has to go in this direction, not only on austerity but also closely monitor municipal spending that does not affect all citizens.”
To carry out this measure, the municipal officers have been working for over a month in order to consider carefully the use of each area of ​​the town and see where it could carry out the shut-down of the different street-lights without causing stress or safety issues for local residents. The councillor ended by saying that the City Council “hopes that everyone understands these measures and if the streets are still adequately illuminated then this is the main concern, but also of concern is the need to save for further and clear the debts for the people”.