MoBay becomes a smart city
Published:Thursday | July 6, 2017 | 12:00 AMJanet Silvera
WESTERN BUREAU:
Last weekend, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) made its presence felt in the second city of Montego Bay first by turning on 300 smart LED street lights in the Fairview area, then feting 90 women at the Women in Energy brunch.
Both events were proof that JPS has become a forward-thinking company, taking on the 2030 millennial goals of protecting the planet head-on as part of a sustainable development agenda.
In fact, JPS can boast that Jamaica now has a street light system that is comparable to some of the most developed cities around the world. And you can take that to the bank, was the only thing that project consultant Steve Dixon did not say, when describing the energy-efficient lights. "We were all seeking to find a solution to address some fundamental challenges with street lighting services. These include affordability, reliability, and timely monitoring and reporting of street light status to the respective councils (municipal councils) on a monthly basis," said Dixon.
The event, a big deal for the country, attracted three government ministers, the town's mayor, a number of JPS big wigs, including outgoing president and CEO Kelly Tomblin, who demits office today (Friday), consultants employed to the project, and customers eager to see the change in their electricity bills.
Held at the Scotiabank car park at the Fairview office complex, a project that was first discussed five years ago have finally come to fruition.
The three-phased project was rolled out in Montego Bay, Portmore, Liguanea, Mona and Washington Boulevard simultaneously.