GPL to pursue legal action after electrical network damaged in ECD accident

The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) plans to pursue legal action against the driver of a motorcar that crashed into a utility pole on Sunday at Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD), resulting in significant damage to the company’s electricity network. Based on reports, the driver, Trevon Cockfield, was operating motorcar PAE 3137 when the vehicle came into contact with GPL’s infrastructure, damaging a utility pole and associated network components. He was subsequently arrested by ranks of the Vigilance Police Station. “The Company intends to pursue the matter through the appropriate legal channels to recover the costs associated with repairing and replacing the damaged infrastructure,” GPL said in a statement on Sunday. Reiterating its concerns over the frequency of vehicular accidents involving its electricity infrastructure, the power company pointed out that such incidents can cause significant damage to critical network infrastructure, result in substantial repair costs and pose serious safety risks to motorists and members of the public. To this end, “GPL urges motorists to exercise greater caution when using the roadways, particularly in areas where electricity infrastructure is located.” According to the power company, it remains committed to protecting its infrastructure and will continue to pursue appropriate legal action, including the recovery of costs associated with damage to its network. In recent months, GPL has sought to recover repair costs for its network infrastructure that was damaged by members of the public. Only last week, three persons were arrested and placed on $100,000 station bail each for damaging components of GPL’s network at La Penitence, Georgetown. It was reported that a truck with registration number GYY 5259, while attempting a turn, became entangled with the overhead telephone cables, resulting in damage to GPL’s network and causing a power outage in the area.
A report was lodged at the Ruimveldt Police Station, and the truck driver, along with two porters, was taken into police custody. They were subsequently placed on station bail.
Meanwhile, on August 15, a 63-year-old minibus driver, Felix Thorman, died after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a utility pole along the public road at Columbia, Essequibo Coast, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
As a result of the late-night accident, the GPL pole was damaged and plunged the surrounding communities into darkness for several hours until the following day.
In addition to motorists, the power company has also been going after contractors who destroy its infrastructure with the aim of recovering costs. In June, GPL threatened legal action against an excavator operator and contracting firm, Avinash Contracting and Scrapmetal Inc., after the machinery had come into contact with the company’s transmission line along the East Bank Demerara (EBD) corridor. The incident resulted in damage to critical transmission infrastructure and caused a service interruption affecting a number of customers across sections of Demerara. Nevertheless, the power company reminded contractors, heavy-duty equipment operators, and members of the public that any excavation, construction, or operations near the company’s transmission and distribution infrastructure must be coordinated with GPL to ensure safety and prevent damage to critical national assets. It further warned that unauthorised or unsafe activities near GPL’s network can result in widespread service disruptions and pose serious public safety risks. Only in May of this year, GPL sought to recover approximately $8 million from a contractor following transmission line damage during work at the Grove New Housing Scheme (Backlands) on the East Bank.