Antigua Public Utilities Authority has been urged by the Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda to make “immediate and visible” progress in installing and repairing streetlights nationwide.
The demand follows a Cabinet briefing by APUA’s electricity manager, Andre Matthias, after the government approved a comprehensive street and community lighting improvement programme.
According to Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant, Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin told officials the Cabinet would not accept assurances without clear results.
He quoted Sir Steadroy as saying the utility had the necessary resources and should demonstrate progress by lighting up areas where residents have complained of darkness.
Ambassador Dianne Black-Layne said hundreds of streetlights are already available for installation, removing supply constraints as a barrier. Public Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas has pledged to oversee the implementation of the directive.
The Cabinet also addressed ongoing vandalism of lighting infrastructure. Merchant said newly designed lampposts would position battery packs and other components higher up to deter theft.
APUA plans to install surveillance cameras on selected poles, particularly along extended roadways. Police have been asked to increase patrols and monitor newly completed installations.
Existing foundations, including along Friars Hill Road, will be used where possible as the rollout continues.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
Trupzzzz !
The do nothing cabinet..
One big trupzzzzzz.
The foundation for the streetlight poles is clearly a concern for even the minister, that’s because the electricity manager fail to use his ingenuity or supposedly degree he has as an electrical engineer, I have come to the conclusion that political connection entitlement is the basis on which this electricity manager continue to preside over his failure of APUA infrastructure like the power station and the rickety pole lines that needs engineering application still holding the title “electricity manager” to this day or he is a comrade, the ordinary none degree workers has to improvise without modern materials to do the work.
The streetlight poles can be easily mounted on a more cost effective foundation if the APUA electricity manager had the capacity to really see engineering as technical hobby instead of eyeing a managerial entitlement position, there is a helix augur anchor foundation that can be screwed into the ground by the existing APUA digger derrick truck, and the streetlight poles could be instantly erected in minutes instead a concrete base and excavation cost and still time for concrete to cure, which become a future expense replacement when a car hit these concrete base you will have to go over the concrete base again while the helix augur could be instantly replaced and can even be welded back together.
While I am glad that they realize the battery should be at the top, I was advocating for an all in one compact solar powered streetlight with camera combination and battery built-in to help with security for law enforcement, that streetlight has integrated camera with sim card networking, and maintenance will have to be budgeted, because the street lights solar panels will have to be removed during an impending storm. And these LED lamp are virtually indestructible because they carry serviceable electronic component parts, a technician is required to diagnose and replace parts like bridge rectifier and resisters and diodes or LED chip, you don’t throw away these lights like they did with the conventional ones, it will be an environmental travesty.
But I already understood that a diplomat was involved in the streetlights procurement so it would not be any modern feature type as I have been suggesting. That was the same issue when the UPP got the streetlight project in place, no technical input, because the Chinese did an underground low voltage cable island wide when it should have been underground high voltage cable that would have given us a resilient system in terms of hurricane, where most of the medium voltage distribution lined would have been underground, and this also falls on the same electricity manager that is without ideas, or that he only has ALP ideas.
A lot of new materials is needed in APUA to make it more cost effective and efficient, but you have to change the head of the electricity division if he is unwilling to make changes or allow it since he may be holding all the other engineers hostage since they are subordinate to him, and either bring in experience engineers like Mr George piggot days who actually go out and work on the poles and solve problems for the workers and impart knowledge, even after Mr Piggott has leaved he is constantly been called to give solutions to issues that was a challenge to the engineering staff, the present electricity manager won’t go near electricity if you forced him. Engineers abroad had to go out in the field and do the work, their CEO moments are for board meetings.
APUA should have been already into hotline work to stop the daily power interruptions, and that goes hand in hand with construction standards and staking sheet data. All the work Apua is doing on the pole will be a costly exercise of reconstruction to standard to meet live line work specifications.
Even though I have leaved the APUA due to institutional confrontation with the present sets of supervisors and lack of support from the electricity manager to create the space for change to the antiquated system, I hope one day I see my project that I pushed for which is hotline work to alleviate power suppression become a dream fulfilled, I have worked in other utility company applying my training In that field of work and certified for it but couldn’t offer my country of birth my talents and skill.
The modern streetlights that was introduced along the nation highway by the UPP government have all but fallen into disrepair.
This shows that the government is not very good at upkeeping and maintaining anything. Something as simple as replacing a broken pole or replacing a blown light, seems like a major task for them to do. In real countries somethings like that would be replace in a day or two.
The modern streetlights on the country highways that was introduced by the UPP government have all but fallen into disrepair.
It clearly shows that the present government is not good at upkeeping or maintaining anything. It seems like a major task for them just to replace a blown light or to replace a broken pole. In real countries is would take about a day or two to make a repair.
All i know is that.. NO street lights, NO water, NO roads NO VOTES. Especially allsaints road.. enough is enough now man .. we paying too much taxes for going through all this bullshit. Its embarrassing we visitors and tourists comes n talking bad about the roads n poor lighting in Antigua. Smh im in the hotel industry n trusted me , guest speaks bad about the roads .
@ John Smith
You are so correct. Government is a total waste of time when it comes to maintenence. Take our Traffic lights for instance, most do not work most of the time and these people seem as though they do not give a shit. It is beyond sickening
All but 1 streetlight in the Villa Housing project tap work long time. The place dark no wah. So Gaston, please foo replace the light and dem.
Comments are closed.