Penampang Council keeping tabs on public lighting
Published on: Wednesday, September 04, 2024
By: Sidney Skinner
A sky-master (left) was used to facilitate efforts to replace the damaged bulbs and the Council’s technicians sorting out the cabling for some of the lights on Jalan Bundusan (right).
THE Penampang Municipal Council is monitoring the public lighting on Jalan Bundusan to ensure that road-users have a better driving experience at night, while Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) is deliberating over the possibility of having a streetlight erected at the junction to Jalan Kg Novunsu.
This follows separate feedback from three drivers about the lack of illumination on both stretches.
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Some of the lights along the main road to Taman Reservoir and Taman Golf View, had apparently been inoperative “for months”, according to two of these motorists.
The third felt that there was a need to ensure that the turn to Kg Novunsu was adequately lit. He said drivers, returning home after dark, risked plunging their vehicles into the roadside drain near the junction because it was difficult to make out where they were going.
These individuals provided Hotline with the location of the unlit sections, which was forwarded to the agency.
A spokesman refuted their suggestion about the Council’s inaction, saying that its streetlight-team periodically checked on the condition of these amenities around the district.
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“However, because of the extensiveness of our rating area – as well as the many commercial and residential properties under our jurisdiction – our technicians often find it difficult to determine which of these stretches are not illuminated,” he said.
“To this end, we hope the public will inform us directly of any irregularities involving our lights so that we can attend to these problems as soon as possible.”
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In the case of Jalan Bundsuan, he said faulty “contactors” and damaged bulbs rendered some of these amenities inoperative recently.
A 728-metre section of the stretch – between the Sabah Golf and Country Club roundabout and a supermarket near the junction to Taman Golf View – was found to be shrouded in darkness, according to the spokesman.
“Our technicians replaced the damaged contactors and sorted out the cabling for some of the lights on the divider.
“A sky-master was deployed to assist our personnel in changing those bulbs, which were blown, and tightening any loose connections to our poles.”
He explained that a “contactor” was a type of switch for repeatedly opening and closing an electric circuit.
When asked about the lack of illumination at the junction to Kg Novunsu, the spokesman said it was helpless to intervene in this matter.
“We were made to understand that the streetlight, located at the turn to the village, was removed when some wiring work was carried out in the area,” he said.
"The light was most likely attached to an electricity pole which was taken down to accommodate the work involving the power lines.
“So, it would be in the driver’s best interests for SESB to be informed of his concerns.”
A spokesman for the company said the relevant section was alerted to this matter.
“We will have to verify the driver’s claims before further action can be taken,” he said.
“Should the streetlight indeed have belonged to us, then we will have to determine where best to have it set up again for the safety of drivers living in the village.”
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