DBKK keeping tabs on public lighting in Karamunsing, Luyang
Published on: Thursday, October 05, 2023
By: Sidney Skinner
Another technician checks on the wiring for this light on the flyover.
CITY HALL is keeping an eye on the public lighting between roundabouts in Karamunsing and Luyang to ensure that the roads in these areas are properly lit at night.
A spokesman for the agency’s Engineering Department said its electrical contractor had been asked to make regular checks of the streetlights along a 1.1 kilometre span, from the roundabout on the Bukit Nenas flyover to the one at the junction leading to the Gaya College.
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He said the stretches which fell between the flyover and the College included, Jalan Bertingkat Bukit Nenas, the section of Jalan Kolam near the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex and part of Jalan Kebajikan.
The lights in this part of Karamunsing have been functioning intermittently.
The flyover had twice been shrouded in darkness over the past few weeks, according to him.
“A loose neutral connection was causing a ‘standard transmission line’ trip in the most recent instance,” he said.
“Prior to this, the cable servicing of one of these amenities had to be replaced as it was found to have been burnt out.”
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The spokesman said, in both cases, the contractor conducted a day-time test to check if the lights were coming on as they should.
“He later returned at night to gauge if the affected roads were adequately illuminated.”
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The individual monitored the “trouble spots” for several days afterwards, according to him.
“The lights on the flyover and those on the main road beside the Court Complex did not breakdown during either of these periods.
“Nevertheless, we called on the contractor to step up the night-time surveillance in these areas for the benefit of the hundreds of drivers who pass this way daily.”
The contractor’s technician tightens the loose neutral connection on the Bukit Nenas flyover.
CHERI of Karamunsing voiced her displeasure about the lack of illumination on the flyover heading towards Taman Layang-Layang, as well as the road between a Shell kiosk – off Jalan Kolam – and the roundabout near the College
“The streetlights on many of the road-shoulders here are not illuminated at night,” she said.
She claimed that these amenities seemed to function on an off.
“Last month, they failed for several weeks. The problem was reported to City Hall and shortly after this, the lights were functioning.
“A few days later, they were out of order again.”
Cheri said this was not the first time this had happened.
“The lights have been functioning intermittently for months. I cannot understand why they keep breaking down.”
The spokeswoman said inspections were made of the affected roads, shortly after learning about Cheri’s grievance.
“A trip relating to the ‘miniature circuit breakers’ was to blame for the outage of the lights on Jalan Kebajikan,” she said.
“The mechanisms in the control panel for these amenities were reset, after the trip had been dealt with accordingly.”
Meanwhile, the Papar District Council is in the process of verifying a homeowner’s claims about the inoperative streetlights along the access road to a Kinarut neighbourhood.
A spokesman for the authority said it would have to determine whether these amenities had been handed over to the Council.
“If this proves to be the case, then our personnel will be sent to check on the condition of the lights,” he said.
“We will have to establish the cause of the outage, before making the necessary repairs.”
MUSTAFA of Papar said streetlights were installed on the roadside near his housing area years ago.
“After they were first put up, they were tested for a while to see if they functioned,” he said.
He said these amenities had not been lit since.
“The lights feel like decorations which have lost their charm. A lot of them are no longer pleasing to the eye.
“The metal around the light fixtures has lost its sheen and turned brown.”
Mustafa said the lack of illumination made it difficult for motorists to tell if there were vehicles coming round the bend at night, let alone when those going on foot were crossing the road.
“This is especially so when there is a downpour.”
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