Scots will still see the light on roads

Published on Sunday 18 February 2007 00:05

SCOTLAND'S transport agency has no plans to follow its counterpart south of the Border and switch off streetlights to save energy.

The Highways Agency, which runs main roads and motorways in England and Wales, has said trials of unlit roads will begin this year.

The scheme will involve lights being dimmed or going off automatically at midnight when there are fewer vehicles on the roads. The plan has been criticised by road safety groups.

A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland, which looks after trunk roads and motorways - as well as railways - north of the Border, said: "We have no plans for any scheme to switch off the lights at night."

UK transport minister Stephen Ladyman said in a Commons written answer last week that the Highways Agency was looking to switch off road lighting from midnight and added that his department was also urging local councils to dim or turn off other lights on local roads to save money.

He added: "Any financial or environmental saving would have to be balanced against potential adverse effects, for example on accidents or crime." Around 30% of major roads and motorways are lit and powerful lights are installed at junctions and roundabouts to reduce accidents."

A spokesman for the Highways Agency added: "Our first step could be to look at whether lights could be dimmed at suitable locations when traffic levels are low. We will not begin trials without pre-assessments."

Paul Smith, of the Safe Speed group - which lobbies against speed cameras and which believes too little is being done on other road safety measures - said: "Lights allow drivers to see pedestrians who are on the road in the wrong place. This is penny-pinching at the expense of safety."

Dianne Ferreira, from the Brake pressure group, added: "We cannot put costs in front of lives."

Julie Bentley, from personal safety charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said: "With less street lighting, our awareness of our surrounding area is diminished and the risk to our personal safety is increased."

However, environmental groups have cautiously welcomed the move, claiming large numbers of powerful street lights waste energy and create "light pollution" at night, meaning would-be stargazers cannot see the night sky properly.