The Tribune

UPDATE: THE Bahamas Power & Light Company (BPL) said it was working in several areas on Friday morning as it seeks to restore power to the remaining New Providence communities that lack it. BPL said it was working in Kemp Road, South Beach East and West, LPIA, South Ocean, East Street North, Farrington Road/Davis Street, East Street near Big Pond, Coconut Grove, Yellow Elder, Sea Breeze, Marathon, Homestead Avenue and Florida Court. BPL said it would give another status update on Saturday morning. On Thursday BPL said power has been restored to about 76 per cent of New Providence. BPL was expected to bring in additional resources to help with its workload today, including up to 35 more people and additional trucks and equipment.

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Deputy Chief Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

IN the wake of Bahamas Electrical Workers Union President Paul Maynard’s assertions that several of Bahamas Power and Light’s diggers and bucket trucks were non-operational and slowing down restoration efforts, BPL yesterday said only five vehicles of the company’s current fleet had gone out of service within the last week.

To be specific, according to BPL’s Corporate Communications Manager Arnette Ingraham, two bucket trucks and three diggers experienced issues since BPL began to tackle the wide-ranging repairs needed throughout the island following Hurricane Matthew.

She added that two diggers have since been repaired, while another will be down for a “prolonged” period. She further admitted that BPL had been challenged by several of the diggers and that additional trucks were needed to quicken the pace of BPL’s work.

On Wednesday, Mr Maynard told The Tribune that 13 bucket trucks were not working and that several diggers needed to replace the broken poles that had broken down, placing crews at a huge disadvantage.

However, Mrs Ingraham said just as BPL teams have been working overtime to restore power on the island so has their equipment. This contributed to the malfunction, Mrs Ingraham said.

“It is normal that bucket trucks and any heavy equipment machinery would develop challenges during the course of our operations,” she said in a statement sent to this newspaper. “In fact, BPL has a transport department where the primary responsibility is maintaining the company’s fleet. BPL also uses the assistance of local mechanical specialists, where necessary, to help maintain company vehicles.

“Just like our BPL teams, we are working our equipment for extended periods of time during our Hurricane Matthew restoration. As an example, BPL has had challenges with several diggers. Two of the diggers have already returned to service and crews are utilising them today (Thursday) to plant poles in affected areas. It is very normal that given the type of demands that we are presently putting on these machines that they will develop challenges and we have responded to each of these mechanical issues in record time so that the vehicles can return to service. In fact, only one digger will be down for a prolonged period.”

She continued: “We do need additional trucks to help quicken the pace of restoration and to complement our existing fleet going forward. Four BPL owned trucks that were previously ordered will arrive on the same ship that is carrying bucket trucks to be used by the PowerSecure team assisting in the restoration effort.

“To explain further, mechanical problems are so much the norm in this type of business that the PowerSecure team is bringing its own mechanic to fix any problems that they encounter while in New Providence.”

On BPL’s Facebook page, the company said more than 70 per cent of its residential customers are already back online and more help is on the way, pointing to the four bucket trucks purchased by BPL.

An additional six trucks that will accompany teams from BPL’s management company PowerSecure will be on the island by the weekend to assist with restoration efforts.

Meanwhile, Mr Maynard has insisted that “if the powers that be” had listened to him and had an 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.”

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

“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.”

Many residents of New Providence have been without electricity for more than a week, due to the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.