Agencies, utility firms called up on unabated bumping of poles

February 5, 2018 Metro BLISTT

City Council approved a resolution inviting, in aid of legislation, the representatives of the Department of Public works and Highways–Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO), Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO), City Engineering Office, and Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Traffic Management Branch to discuss possible measures that could be done to mitigate, lessen, and prevent the frequent accidental or intentional bumping of electric posts, structures and trees by vehicles along roads in the different parts of the city.
The resolution authored by Councilor Joel Alangsab stated there is a need for the concerned government agencies, utility companies and the public to formulate the appropriate strategies that should be put in place to address the frequent bumping of electric poles by wayward vehicles that often result to unscheduled power interruptions affecting the conduct of business activities around the city.
Aside from causing unscheduled power interruptions in the affected areas, the resolution added that the frequent bumping of electric poles erected on strategic areas of roads in the city have also resulted to the inconvenience of the public because of traffic congestions and serious delays in the transport of goods to their intended destinations.
The resolution emphasized that it has also been observed that the road widening projects of the DPWH regional and district offices along roads around the city exposes the electric poles and even trees to untoward incidents like the bumping of the same by wayward motor vehicles.
According to the resolution, bulk of the damaged electric poles is owned by the Beneco while other poles belong to some cable and telecommunication companies and the said poles are usually located beside, within or along walkways and roads in the different barangays of the city.
The resolution pointed out the location of the poles and the implementation of road widening projects make the electric poles susceptible from either accidental or incidental bumping or being collaterally damaged by vehicular accidents that often result to unscheduled power interruptions disrupting the regular conduct of business operations in the affected areas.
The resolution added that such susceptibility of the electric poles was recently shown by the accident along Bokawkan Road that caused massive inconvenience, anxiety and stress to the affected residents, motorists, including government offices due to the road closures, traffic and unwanted brownouts.
Earlier, the energy and public works department came out with a joint circular that mandated the mandatory relocation of electric poles affected by the implementation of government infrastructure projects so that the relocation of such poles will be done immediately by the concerned electric cooperative or private power distribution utility to lessen obstructions along roads affected by such infrastructure projects.
Previously, there had been delays in the relocation of electric poles affected by the implementation of road widening projects in the different parts of the city because it was not clear which agency will shoulder the expenses to be incurred in case there will be unavoidable relocation of the electric poles. BAGUIO PIO / ABN