A demand by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) that defective street lights on major roads in the capital city be repaired in time for the August 6 Independence celebrations has been met by red tape and blame-passing.

The call is included in a resolution passed at this month’s KSAMC council meeting at which councillors complained about non-functioning street lights and demanded a repair timetable from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

“The Donald Quarrie bridge that people travelling to St Thomas use, is in total darkness and so too is the Florizel Glasspole Highway which people coming from the Norman Manley Airport into the city use,” said Councillor Oliver Clue (People’s National Party, Harbour View Division), who had seconded the resolution moved by minority leader Councillor Andrew Swaby (PNP, Vineyard Town Division).

Councillor Eugene Kelly (PNP, Whitfield Town Division) said that the KSAMC was paying JPS for the street lights, many of which were not working.

“Let us pressure the JPS to repair the lights,” he said

Councillor Jacqueline Lewis (PNP, Norman Gardens Division) said that JPS “treats my division with scant disregard”. She said that when she complained to the JPS about 80 street lights on Michael Manley Boulevard that were not working, she was told to get the number of each of the light poles.

She conformed with that request, she said, and read the numbers to the meeting: 90-91, 92-93, 51, 52, 54, 49, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 50, 62, and 70.

However, JPS has, in the past, stated that it has no responsibility for the lights on Florizel Glasspole Highway.

The energy company had made this disclosure to the Jamaica Observer last December after Councillor Swaby pointed out that 82 street lights on Florizel Glasspole Highway were not working and had urged the council to get them repaired in time for the Christmas holidays.

“The street lights on Florizel Glasspole Highway are not JPS lights, they are owned by the National Works Agency (NWA),” JPS’ Director of Corporate Communications Winsome Callum had told the Observer at the time.

When the newspaper contacted NWA Communications Manager Stephen Shaw on the issue, he responded with the following e-mail:

“Regarding the issue of street lights along Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway, these would have been erected as part of works to widen the corridor. As I said earlier, it is a matter that all concerned are aware of and it is hoped that there will be a resolution. This issue is being driven at the level of the Ministry of Economic Growth. There has been a gap in the process to transfer ownership from the responsible ministry to the JPSCo, a situation that, I am aware, has been discussed at a high level to include several departments, including the AGD.

“A resolution is yet to be agreed, even though the JPSCo charges for the lights as they are connected to its network. The issue comes to the fore when there are malfunctions/defects that go unrepaired.”

Subsequent to Shaw’s response, the Observer contacted the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation and was told that the information it had from the NWA was that “the issue has to go to [the] Cabinet”.

The Observer also sought clarification from the Ministry of Local Government and was told that it would not be able to say when the street lights will be repaired.