The Tribune

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY a dozen Bahamas Power and Light Company (BPL) bucket trucks are not operational and several diggers have “broken down” since BPL crews began hurricane recovery efforts in New Providence, according to Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) President Paul Maynard.

Mr Maynard told The Tribune that “if the powers that be” had listened to him and have a hydraulic specialist repair the bucket trucks, which he said have been broken down for months, power could have been restored to the island quicker, “because more men would be able to be on the road”.

He also said several diggers, which are needed to replace the broken poles, have stopped working, placing crews at a huge disadvantage.

“I think it’s about 13 of them (bucket trucks) that are not working and most of the diggers have gone down,” Mr Maynard said.

“We need a specialist to come in and fix the trucks. I suggested a while ago that we send some of our own people to learn how to fix these trucks and I was told no. The company was scared the men were going to come back and work for someone else.

“I even gave them the number of a guy who could fix it, but they don’t listen to me. They know it all.

“You have these people on this hurricane committee who do what they want to do. If we had (those) trucks we could have been further along with hurricane repair. We also need those diggers to change the broken poles. We have three diggers working and I think they are trying to rent one but we will see what happens.”

Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr Hubert Minnis also criticised BPL yesterday. In a statement, Dr Minnis said while BPL crews are working hard to restore electricity, the company and the government must give those without power a definitive timeline for restoration.

“Under the most difficult circumstances, the workers at the Bahamas Power and Light Company have been working extremely hard to restore electricity to all Bahamians on New Providence,” Dr Minnis said. “As they work tirelessly to restore power, it is time for BPL management and the government to provide the people still struggling without power with a timeline for the restoration results.

“From the beginning, BPL has said that after they completed their assessment of the damage they would begin working from the largest areas affected to the smallest areas. This means that BPL and the government by now should have an idea of when and where work will be occurring every day until the work is completed.

“Bahamians have a right to know the schedule that BPL plans to follow in their efforts to restore power to the entire Island. Right now too many Bahamian families and businesses have been left in the dark - both literally and figuratively. They need this information so they are able to make plans and start their own restoration efforts. Many Bahamians are still staying with family and friends with no knowledge of when they can return to their homes.

“ ... There are certain areas in Seabreeze and Southern Shores that will take a long time to recover from this storm but it is time to allow everyone else to know when they can take steps to try and return to normal. Though Hurricane Matthew struck the Bahamas with all of its force last week, it is clear that the storm has not broken the resiliency of the Bahamian people.

“I know in my heart that the Bahamas can and will come back stronger. We will get through this working together with our neighbours, friends and family to help each other rebuild,” Dr Minnis said.

A day earlier, Mr Maynard blasted the “co-ordinators” at BPL for being “inefficient” and organising the “worst hurricane recovery effort” he has ever seen.

He said if certain BPL officials had “listened to advice from the union” more areas of New Providence would have been restored and BPL’s restoration timeline would be significantly shorter.

In a statement on Monday, BPL said it could not give an exact time for full restoration, but the company expects most customers to be back on supply by the end of the week. However, Mr Maynard said “two to three weeks” is more realistic.

Yesterday, BPL CEO Pam Hill said electricity was restored to just over 50 per cent of its customers in New Providence and restoration in the Family Islands was “substantially” complete.

BPL also said it expects restoration efforts to ramp up significantly when assistance from international partners arrives on the island. Some were expected to arrive last night. BPL has sourced help from the Caribbean Association of Electric Utilities, which is sending at least three teams to the island.