| Hakim Hayat |
THE Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) will take into consideration public suggestions to build a police post along the stretch of the recently opened Telisai-Lumut Highway to be able to respond to emergency incidents promptly, the Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office said yesterday.
Mobile service providers are currently working to increase its network presence in the area, YB Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Minister of Energy and Industry at the Prime Minister’s Office added.
He was responding to a suggestion made by Legislative Council (LegCo) member representing Zone 2 of the Tutong District YB Haji Ramli bin Haji Lahit, LegCo member and Penghulu of Mukim Telisai during the second day of the first meeting of the 13th LegCo session yesterday.
YB Haji Ramli expressed his concern with the poor mobile network reception in the new highway stretch and noted that the highway’s seclusion from residential and commercial areas causes problems especially during emergency situations such as car accidents.
The LegCo member said he was told that help from the relevant authorities took a while to arrive during a recent car accident in the area due to poor mobile phone signal there.
YB Pehin Datu Singamanteri Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Awang Haji Mohammad Yasmin assured YB Haji Ramli that the matter has been under the RBPF’s consideration, while also informing that mobile service providers are planning to install more towers in the area to ensure good mobile network reception.
The $168-million Telisai-Lumut Highway was opened in June last year after nearly a decade of construction which was faced with several geo-technical challenges.
Since its opening, over 20 car accidents were reported, especially a few months into its inauguration, mainly caused by speeding and also drivers’ unfamiliarity with the new highway.
With the spike in the number of accidents in the 18.6-kilometre highway stretch that also claimed a life last year, a number of changes were made to the design of the highway, including the removal of a U-turn spot that was prone to accidents.
The police have also stepped up surveillance in the new highway area.
This file photo shows a section of the 18.6 kilometre Telisai-Lumut Highway that was completed in June 2016. – SIM Y H
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