Electric substations in Bryanston have been neglected and left vulnerable to cable theft and vagrancy, said Ward 104 councillor Michael Wood.
“Upwards of about 50 percent of power outages are caused by either cable theft or theft of circuit breakers out of substations,” he said.
“A lot of it can be prevented if we had a regular maintenance schedule. ”
City Parks marketing manager Jenny Moodley stated, “All substations in the city are managed by City Power. City Parks and Zoo has a service level agreement with the power entity and will carry out horticultural maintenance only based on a request/order number from City Power.”
City Power’s Yumna Sheik said, “City Power is responsible for the vegetation control around the substations, transmission lines and pillar boxes. We have a Service Level Agreement with City Parks for the cleaning of servitudes and also a contract with our maintenance contractors that assist.”
Sheik added that City Power’s maintenance department was responsible for securing all substations, including the pillar boxes.
Wood noted that substations could be dangerous to the public and that vagrants and cable thieves often learnt the hard way. “You need protective clothing when entering a substation. One wrong move can cause serious injury or even death, this is why it is important for us to keep these substations secured. I do not advise any member of the public to enter a substation.”
Wood has requested that residents notify him if they spot any damaged gates and fences surrounding substations, and report any suspicious behavior around substations to the police.
Details: 082 853 2174.
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