A member of the Jamaica Public Service Company maintenance crew works on a defunct street light on Hope Road in St. Andrew on February 3. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

The Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS) has said that its preparation for this month's ICC Cricket World Cup is almost complete. The company has spent in excess of $25 million to upgrade facilities on the transmission and distribution lines in the vicinity of the Sabina Park, Kingston and Forest Hall, Trelawny, venues.

As part of the upgrading process, JPS has significantly upgraded approximately 18 kilometres of distribution line from the Duncans substation in Trelawny - including the construction of three kilometres of new lines, to serve as back-up for the Martha Brae supply circuit. In Kingston, the supply circuits for Sabina Park have been reconfigured and upgraded to reduce the possibility of supply interruptions.

Will maintain maximum reserve margin

The company says between March and April, it intends to maintain the maximum reserve margin of approximately 30 per cent to ensure continuity of supply to the country in the event of any unforeseen problems on any generating unit.

Several JPS crews were seen towards the end of last week in the corporate area working on utility poles, but head of corporate communications, Winsome Callum, denies that it is an integral part of preparations for ICC Cricket World Cup.

"The activity you saw in and around Kingston on Saturday, March 3, is part of JPS' structural integrity programme which is usually intensified in the months leading up to the start of the hurricane season in June. This programme is ongoing and includes the repair and replacement of utility poles and lines, in an effort to make the power delivery system less susceptible to heavy winds, rain, flooding, etc.," she says.

Callum says while the company will be doing everything possible to reduce power outages during the period, residents should play a role. "Motorists are urged to use caution on the roads and avoid collision with utility poles, as this can result in extended power outages in communities served by the power lines connected to these poles. In addition, members of the public are asked to desist from lighting fires near JPS installations, and where they must cut trees, please keep them from falling on power lines."