A CARDIFF woman who has to walk home in pitch black every night has vowed she will not stay in her flat for another winter unless a street lamp is installed to improve her personal safety.
Michelle Morgan-Davies, 25, a features writer for women’s magazines, cannot see her front door from the entrance to the lane where she lives if she arrives home after dark.
And the newlywed has vowed she will not stay in her flat for the next winter unless a street lamp is installed to make her feel safe.
Michelle’s request has even had backing from Liberal Democrat MP for Cardiff Central, Jenny Wilott, who she has praised for supporting issues on women’s personal safety.
Michelle tweeted Cardiff Council in November 2013 with this image showing how she could not see her front door from the entrance to Kelvin Road, Roath.
Michelle said she was directed to the official forms to fill in to request street lighting and she did so, after which she received a letter to say her request would be discussed at the spring 2014 budget meetings.
But Michelle said: “Spring 2014 came and went that year. I was getting married and working and all those other things that keep you busy so I didn’t chase it up.
“Plus the evenings were getting lighter and it wasn’t so terrible to walk home in the light summer nights.
“Then winter came along again and yet again I found myself having to take a deep breath to steel myself before I started to walk off the main street and up towards my home.
“The alley is long, pitch black and also has an adjoining passageway around a corner so you can’t see if someone is coming that way. It’s an intimidating space.”
“From a young age, girls are taught not to make themselves a target by not walking home in the dark and having your wits about you.
“So ignoring my gut instinct to get to my front door in the dark winter nights is a challenge for me.
“Ordinarily I would never walk such a way. I am stringently careful about my personal safety and encourage all women to be mindful of situations that could put them at risk.
“So I got in touch with Jenny Wilott who backed up my request by writing to Councillor Ramesh Patel.
“Now I guess I have to wait but chances are I will move before I spent another winter in the flat.”
Michelle’s request has been added to the prioritisation list for new and improved street lighting but has been told it’s not possible to offer an accurate timescale for the work, should it be deemed necessary.
Michelle’s request comes as figures were released by the Welsh Government this month which show people in Cardiff are the most afraid of walking in their local area after dark than anywhere else in Wales.
Figures released this month from a National Survey for Wales, from 2012-2013, showed 27 per cent of people living in Cardiff felt unsafe walking in their local area after dark.
Cardiff was the worst city in south Wales in terms of how safe its residents felt, with Newport having 25 per cent of people fearing being out after dark and just 20 per cent of Swansea residents feeling the same way.
The National Survey was taken by 14,300 people across Wales.
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