Ensuring K’munsing, Luyang streetlights functioning

CITY HALL will step up efforts to monitor a Karamunsing and Luyang housing road at night to ensure that these stretches are properly illuminated.

The District Council is doing the same for a road in the Nosoob area of Penampang.

This follows complaints from three separate rate-payers that the streetlights on the verge outside their homes had been inoperative for some time. The worst instance of this problem involved Jalan Sang Kancil 1, in Karamunsing, which had been unlit for the past three months.

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Spokesmen for City Hall and the Council said its contractors had been asked to check on the condition of the lights more frequently They hoped in this way to minimise the problems created by the lack of illumination in these neighbourhoods.

Both officers urged rate-payers to alert their respective agencies directly of future breakdowns so that action could be taken to ensure that these streetlight woes did not recur.

This light in Jalan Kijang Luyang, which used to function intermittently, has now been repaired.

CHERYL of Karamunsing bemoaned the lack of illumination along her housing road, including the streetlight nearest to her residence, which had been out of order since the Chinese New Year public holidays.

“I contacted City Hall about this problem when offices re-opened after the break,” she said. “The staff who took my call assured me that action would be taken. But, two months later, the area outside my front gate was still shrouded in darkness.”

To make matters worse, more lights along Jalan Sang Kancil 1 were out of order by this time, according to her.

She said the patches of darkness on the road was especially hazardous to motorists due to the presence of a blind curve at one section of the stretch.

“Drivers who are unfamiliar with the area might come round the bend at night and inadvertently wind up running down pedestrian or pet dog while they are crossing the road.”

Cheryl hoped City Hall would act to prevent innocents like these from coming to harm. The City Hall spokesman said all the lights along this Karamunsing stretch were fully operational from April 20, after the agency’s contractor completed the necessary repairs.

“The individual changed the ballast for the light near the complainant’s house and attended to the some components for the other amenities along the road,” he said.

“He kept the road under surveillance on and off for a week afterwards to ensure that these amenities did not breakdown.”

When asked about the three-month delay in dealing with the streetlight woes in the neighbourhood, the spokesman declined to comment.

Meanwhile, City Hall also had to replace the lighting-mechanism at one section of Luyang Phase 5, according to him.

“The contractor initially changed the bulb for the light after we learned that it was functioning intermittently,” he said.

“The individual confirmed that it was operational that night. But 24-hours later it had broken down again.”

The spokesman said a new ballast and ‘ignitor’ were subsequently put in place.

The council’s sky master was deployed to Taman Sindo as soon as it became road worthy again.

“The contractor kept an eye on the light for several days afterwards to ensure that it was functioning as it should.”

RAYMA of Kolombong voiced her displeasure about the patches of darkness along Jalan Kijang.

“I regularly travel down the road to reach the Luyang Phase 5 as I have family staying here,” she said.

“Some of the lights, including the one in front of my in-law’s place, have not working as they should.”

She claimed that the lights seemed to function intermittently.

“In November, they were out of order for more than a week. 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.”

She said she had grown tired of constantly having to inform the agency about the lights.

“I did this earlier in June, when I noticed that the housing road was pitch black at night.”

Meanwhile, the Council has attended to the faulty streetlights along Lorong Sindo 2, almost a month after the agency was first alerted to the breakdown of these facilities.

The streetlight in Taman Sindo have been out of order for months.

A spokesman for the agency said a check revealed that damaged components were behind the outage.

“Our contractor changed the bulbs for several lights along the road,” he said on April 23.

He said these repairs were held up because “the skymaster” needed for the work was out of order.

The spokesman said this vehicle was deployed to the neighbourhood as soon as it became road-worthy again.

VICKY, who lives in Taman Sindo, said she had highlighted this problem to the Council on and off for the past two months but, so far, no action had been taken on this matter.

“Each time I call the Council, the staff assure me that someone will be sent to check on the lights but so far the lights have yet to be restored,” she said on March 26.

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She claimed that several break-ins in the neighbourhood and feared that unscrupulous parties were taking advantage of the street light woes to target homes there.

“I hope the Council will act before anyone comes to harm because of this.”

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