SESB to make regular inspections on streetlights
Published on: Saturday, July 24, 2021
By: Sidney Skinner
.jpg "SESB to make regular inspections on streetlights")
An SESB technician checks the photocell for one the streetlights along the road to Kg Suok-Dambai.
CITY HALL and Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) technicians will step up their night-time surveillance in one part of Luyang and Papar to ensure that the streetlights in these areas operate as they should.This follows complaints that these amenities have been functioning intermittently over the past few months.
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A Luyang rate-payer said the common areas around Taman Sinar Baru were mostly unlit as the lights only came on once in a while.
A Papar driver also bemoaned the lack of illumination along the road leading to Kg Suok-Dambai, saying that only the odd light here and there was operational
Both individuals provided Hotline with the location where the public-lighting had failed. This information was forwarded to City Hall and SESB.
A spokesman for the agency’s Engineering Department said the contractor, responsible for maintaining the lights in the Luyang neighbourhood, had been alerted to the patches of darkness there.
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A City Hall contractor’s worker ascends in a skymaster to check on the connection to a streetlight in Taman Sinar Baru.
“A skymaster was deployed to the area on the following day to facilitate efforts to check on the condition of these facilities,” he said.
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“The components for some of the lights were found to be damaged.”
He said repairs were made on the spot, with the contractor’s workers also installing new bulbs and ballasts where needed.
“Checks were made of the housing roads in Taman Sinar Baru, on and off, for a week, after which the contractor confirmed that nothing was amiss with the lights here.
“Nevertheless, we have asked him to make regular inspections to ensure that the neighbourhood is properly illuminated.”
MARVIN of Luyang voiced his displeasure about the patches of darkness along many of the roads in Taman Sinar Baru.
“The streetlights on the verges do not seem to come on at night,” he said.
This Luyang streetlight has been functioning intermittently for months.
“I have noticed this when I drive to Lorong Kenawai 7B as I have family staying here.”
He claimed that the lights in the neighbourhood seemed to function sporadically.
Marvin said there had been occasions when roads, which were previously dark, had been properly lit.
“Earlier this year, the light outside my in-laws’ house was out for more than a week. The problem was reported to City Hall and shortly after this, the lights were functioning.
This Papar streetlight was restored in the third week of July.
“A few days later, this amenity was out of order again.”
Marvin said he had wearied of constantly having to inform the agency about the streetlight woes there.
ALLAN or Papar was similarly fed up with SESB. He said drivers had to be extra careful when using the access road to Kg Suok-Dambai at night.
He said, for years, this stretch was pitch black once the sun had set for the day.
“The visibility after dark was made worse when it rained heavily,” he said.
He said the unlit road 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.
“Drivers would only realise that there was some livestock or dogs in their way when their car-lights shone on these animals.”
He said streetlights stood at strategic places along the stretch but, for whatever reason, none of these facilities came on after dark.
The lights were attached to many of the electricity poles along the roadside, according to Allan.
“Since they fell into disuse, these amenities looked like nothing more than tarnished decorations.
“The metal around the light fixtures has lost its sheen and turned brown, while the poles to which they are connected have become overgrown with creepers.”
He said numerous reports had been made to SESB about the lack of illumination but, each of these pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
Allan said this changed in May as the lights became again operational.
“Many of us were thankful that we could again drive safely at night. Our joy over this turn of events, however, was short-lived.
“By the end of June, sections of the access road to the village were again shrouded in darkness.”
A SESB spokeswoman said technicians from its Papar office checked on the condition of the lights at the beginning of July.
“Except for the area near the name sign for a church here, the rest of the road was adequately lit at the time,” she said.
She said “photocell” for the light adjacent to the sign was found to be damaged.
“This component was replaced in the third week of July.
“A second inspection was made after this and all the lights were found to be operational.”
She said there were a total of 22 streetlights between Kg Suok-Dambai and the junction from Jalan Mogon-Biau.
All the lights had been reactivated two months earlier, according to the spokeswoman.
“These facilities were put up by SESB many years ago. Wear and tear had taken a toll on the lights, rendering them inoperative.
“Some were also damaged due to the low voltage of the electricity being channelled to the area.”
She said the chairwoman for the village’s Security and Development Committee had initially spoken to the company about the streetlight woes in April.
“It took some time to source for the spare parts needed to restore all the lights.
“Nevertheless, repairs on these amenities were completed towards the end of May.
“We are in the process of trying to address the voltage problems in the area.”Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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