By Petulia Clarke, Staff ReporterTHE KINGSTON and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) is contemplating making submission to the Ministry of Local Government to put on hold payments for street lights to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo), if the company continues to send bills that do not reflect the service given.
Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, said the decision could be taken if the company continues to ignore requests for meetings with the Council. Several letters have been sent to which there have been no replies, the Roads and Traffic Committee heard Tuesday.
A survey will be conducted to determine the extent of the problem.
Mr. McKenzie said that the JPSCo had been charging for lights that had been malfunctioning, or had been taken down for 15 years or more.
TYPICAL BILL
A typical bill, he said, runs into some $20-$25 million per month, a cost that the Ministry foots.
"If we continue to get this service after the survey we'll ask (the Ministry) to put on hold payments to JPSCo," he said.
Lists submitted by the councillors for maintenance are sent to the JPSCo and those for installation are sent to the Ministry.
JPSCo's corporate communications manager Winsome Callum said Tuesday that the company had repaired over 10,000 street lights across the island since the start of the year and close to 1,400 of these were in Kingston and St Andrew.
"The Company depends to a large extent on information from the KSAC with regards to the areas where lights need to be repaired, and responds to the requests of the Corporation whenever they are forwarded to us," she said in an emailed response to The Gleaner questions.
"JPSCo participates in some meetings of Parish Councils across the island, but is unable to participate in all meetings," she explained.
