Who turned off the lights?

THE EDITOR: I wish to draw to your attention the shocking and deteriorating service being offered by TTEC to consumers in San Fernando and environs. Within the past few months, residents have been subjected to regular outages and only two weeks ago most of the southern area suffered a power cut, lasting in some places for more than four hours. Needless to say, the citizenry was not offered an explanation, or even an excuse for such an occurrence.

What makes this situation even more alarming, and indeed stretches the limit  of tolerance, is that these outages occur after TTEC, through advertisements, proudly announce that electricity will be cut off in certain areas from 8 am to 4 pm “to carry out maintenance work in order to improve the reliability of supply”. Clearly this has to be a sick joke perpetrated on an unsuspecting public.

Questions must be asked about the operations of  TTEC, when in 2003, they seem to be working with an outmoded and archaic method of maintenance. I am sure that this interruption of supply will not be permitted or tolerated in New York, Toronto or even Anguilla. Apparently no regard is paid to the economic losses suffered by the business community, or the disruption of social life. Would you imagine that TTEC actually schedules shut downs on a Sunday! Obviously this electricity company operates in an arrogant monopolistic manner, having absolutely no regard for its customers. Probably it is time that the Regulated Industries Commission, or some consumer rights group investigate whether any contractual agreements are being infringed by TTEC in this abuse. In this day and age of improving technology being introduced by this government, one would have expected the company to follow the lead set by TSTT, with recent innovations in their service (but not their rates).

They could even have followed the Ministry of National Security, with their new surveillance (spy) system or CEPEP, who has introduced the latest technology in environment management. TTEC management must inform this nation whether they have ever discussed with the union representing the workers the introduction of Hotline work, where maintenance  work could take place without disruption of electricity supplies. This method is widely used throughout the developed world, and I do not think one should have to wait until 2020 to have this system implemented here. It is quite interesting to note that in the recent war in Iraq, even after many nights of bombing, lights were still on in Baghdad. The question is, in order to learn new techniques, should we have sent TTEC to Baghdad before or after the bombing?

RABINDRA MOONAN
Former Deputy Mayor
San Fernando