How long does a street light repair take?

An isolated light point is handled on the next maintenance round, from a few days to a few weeks. A fault affecting several consecutive lamps is generally treated as a priority.

What should I do about a leaning lamp post or exposed cables?

That is an immediate electrical hazard, not a simple lighting problem. Touch nothing, keep children away, and call the town hall — or the fire service outside opening hours.

2026-08-07

Broken street light: who to report it to and how long it takes

A broken street light is reported to the town council, which owns the public lighting network and generally contracts out its maintenance. For a fast repair, note the number marked on the lamp post: it identifies the exact light point. An isolated fault is handled on the next maintenance round; a whole dark street usually means a control cabinet fault and is treated as a priority.

The number on the post changes everything

Almost every lamp post carries a number, usually on a label or engraved at head height on the column. That number identifies the light point in the operator's database.

A report containing this number is acted on directly. A report saying "the lamp post outside the bakery" requires a survey visit first, which adds days.

If you cannot find a number, give the number of the nearest house and which side of the street.

An isolated fault or a whole street?

The distinction matters because it changes the nature of the problem.

A single dark light point: most often a lamp at end of life or a failed LED module. Handled on the next maintenance round, within days to weeks depending on the town.

Several consecutive dark points: probably the sector control cabinet, a severed cable, or a supply fault. More serious, more visible, and generally treated as a priority.

A lamp that stays on in broad daylight: a photocell or a mis-set timer. Nobody is in danger, but it costs the town electricity — so it is worth reporting.

The case of a damaged column

A leaning column, an open access panel exposing cables, a lamp post blown over: that is no longer a lighting problem, it is an immediate electrical hazard.

In that case, do not settle for a report in an app. Call the town hall, and outside working hours, the fire service. Touch nothing, keep children away.

Why this is a genuine safety issue

An unlit street in Réunion Island, where night falls early and fast all year round, is not a comfort question: it is a road-safety issue for pedestrians, and a recognised factor in the feeling of insecurity.

It is also exactly the kind of problem nobody reports, because everyone assumes someone else already has. That is precisely what a public, confirmable report solves: you can see immediately whether the problem is already known.

After reporting

Note the date. If nothing has happened after a month for an isolated point, follow up citing the date of your first report — documented follow-ups are the ones that get results.

Who repairs street lights in Réunion Island?: The town council owns the public lighting network and generally contracts out its maintenance. Reports therefore go to the town hall.
How long does a street light repair take?: An isolated light point is handled on the next maintenance round, from a few days to a few weeks. A fault affecting several consecutive lamps is generally treated as a priority.
What should I do about a leaning lamp post or exposed cables?: That is an immediate electrical hazard, not a simple lighting problem. Touch nothing, keep children away, and call the town hall — or the fire service outside opening hours.