Bekasi roads poorly lit despite huge subsidies

Bekasi roads poorly lit despite huge subsidies

BEKASI (JP): Bekasi residents are complaining that the area's main roads are still poorly lit, despite reports of the state electricity company PLN receiving Rp 3 billion in yearly subsidies from private developers earmarked especially for street lighting.

The majority of residents claim to have paid up their electricity bills to the local PLN office but regardless, many of the light posts installed on some main roads are not even turned on in the evenings.

Several of the streets in question are Jl. Hasanudin, which spans between the Tambun and Cibitung districts, and the portion of Jl. Inspeksi Malang that stretches from Bekasi Timur to Cibitung. Each is poorly lit at night, increasing the likelihood of accidents and criminal activity.

Sources at PLN confirmed that it receives about Rp 3 billion annually for street lighting and that only Rp 200 million is given to the Bekasi Street Lighting Agency.

They said, however, that the remainder of the funds are given to the Bekasi administration.

Of the Rp 3 billion, Rp 1.7 billion is raised from 15 big developers in Bekasi. They include Metropolitan Mall, Perumnas Bumi Bekasi Baru, Pondok Timur Indah housing complex, Pondok Hijau Permai, Wisma ASRI, Taman Kartini, Antilope Maju, RSS PU Narogong, Bulog housing complex, Macan Rusa housing complex, Bumi Lestari, Alidatama Sukti BC, Pelangi Buana Utara, Propertindo and Tywas Kes.

The developers are required under a 1987 Bekasi by-law to pay Rp 1.5 million for each lamp post built in their area, and together they have so far built 1,115 lamp posts. (12/emb)