Help at hand for blackout blues

JAKARTA (JP): Are you facing electricity problems at home, at the office or in the factory? Call 123 and the operator will promise to solve it as soon as possible.

The state-owned electricity company, PT PLN, launched the telephone line Aug. 17 to improve its service to customers experiencing difficulties.

Callers must know the correct address, telephone number and as many details as possible of the problem before making the call, to help PLN mechanics identify the problem and do the necessary repairs.

"Don't hesitate to call us for any kind of electricity problems because we at the 123 telephone service line are ready 24 hours a day," Yogi, one of the 123 staff, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

The service currently covers only Jakarta and the surrounding areas, such as Tangerang and Bekasi.

State-owned PT Telkom telecommunication company has prepared lines for the service to be extended to parts of West Java, such as Banten, Bogor and Purwakarta.

PLN can start operating the lines any time it wished, said PT Telkom president Asman Akhir Nasution, as quoted by Antara Sunday.

According to Nasution, the opening of PLN 123 service line is part of a PLN-Telkom agreement signed here recently to further improve their public services together.

However, there has been no evidence as to whether PLN engineers -- via the 123 service line -- have handled their customers' complaints more quickly or more efficiently. (bsr)