Leaning danger
George’s Lane residents beseech responsible agency to remove hazardous utility poles; JPS promises to rectify issue
Published:Saturday | January 11, 2025 | 7:42 AMCorey Robinson/Senior Staff Reporter
The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has committed to removing rotting decommissioned utility poles that residents of George’s Lane in Central Kingston claim have been cause for concern for close to two years.
Things became unbearable for the residents last week when one of the wooden poles, which they said is the worst of three problematic decommissioned poles on the lane, finally broke away at its base, leaning menacingly across the entrance to one of their homes.
They fear that when it finally falls, it could seriously injure children and the elderly; and further cut off access to other homes.
The residents shared with The Gleaner that reports of their concerns have been met with controversy over whether the poles’ removal is the responsibility of light and power company JPS or FLOW, one of Jamaica’s major telecommunications companies, which both utilised them.
“We have been reporting the poles for close to two years now. Since last week one has started to fall. We called them (JPS), they came within hours and told us it is not their responsibility,” said a male resident on Thursday, who asked not to be named.
“They said the last person who stripped the (decommissioned) pole is responsible for removing it. But when we contacted FLOW, they said that JPS still had a wire on the pole,” he continued, adding that the entrance currently being blocked by the falling pole is used by about a dozen children entering the premises.
The resident, a father of one-year-old and four-year-old girls, said the pole’s position is extremely dangerous. He is quite concerned about the safety of his girls.
FRUSTRATED
Another citizen hit back at suggestions that the problematic poles may have been neglected because some residents use them for illegal connections. “But that don’t have nothing to do with them poles. And besides, how can the falling poles help or prevent people from stealing light?” he argued, frustrated by the back-and-forth between the entities.
On Thursday, George Wright, Senior Manager of Technical Operations of Fixed Assets at FLOW, told The Gleaner that his office was not directly responsible for the poles.
He promised that he would pass the questions from this newspaper to the appropriate representatives who would respond. But up to press time, there was no response.
Meanwhile, Audrey Williams, manager of public relations at JPS, in an emailed response to The Gleaner, promised that the falling pole will be removed this week. “The company is also making arrangements, in keeping with ongoing work, to replace the other poles,” she further said.