The Yangon Electricity Supply Corporation (YESC) will be solely responsible for maintaining all streetlights in the region and will change the current lights to more efficient LED ones, Daw Nilar Kyaw, Minister for Electricity, Industry, Transport and Communication, said on September 26.
The announcement came as a response from Daw Thet Htar New Win, Member of Parliament for Thaketa township at the Yangon Hluttaw.
“We would like to make these changes in other townships, but start with Thaketa. Our plan is to replace the old lights and install the new LED lights throughout the city. We have transferred moneys from the YCDC budget to YESC to help fund the plan,’ Daw Nilar Kyaw said.
Last year YCDC set aside money for electricity, and upgrades to the streets and roads, but that left less of the available budget for street lighting.
She said the Yangon Region government is implementing the plan on the main roads, and hopes to complete the initiative by the end of the financial year.
LED stands for “light emitting diode”, and differ from older incandescent bulbs in that they produce light when a current flows through the diode. In LED lights the light source is built into the main fixture, meaning that the light source doesn’t need to be replaced as often.
led-2.jpg
The older-style concrete electricity polls, with street lights attached.
LED street lights have a higher installation cost, but have become a more feasible alternative as technology has improved over the past decade. Some electrical engineers argue that LED lights only provide directional light, and so cannot provide an overall glow over a street or road. With good designs, however, this can be solved by aiming the lights down towards the area most needing light. A good design may also modify the problem of light pollution, and prevent glare for cars and pedestrians.
Yangon is not the most illuminated city, by any stretch of the imagination. Some lampposts and electricity poles are made from brittle concrete, and easily become damaged when cars crash into them. The announcement by the government seems like a welcome move to change things, and to brighten the streets and roads of the city.
It seems likely that, after the trial installations in Thaketa, the inner city will receive the first upgrades. Hopefully the new lights will make it safer to walk the streets in the evening and at nights, when the prospect of tripping over a wonky paving slab or hole in the pavement are all too much of a worry for many.
The Yangon Region government is also implementing a three-year electricity upgrade, which aims to deliver a more reliable supply of power to Dagon Seikkan, South Dagon and other townships outside of the municipal center.
All these upgrades are well and good, and no doubt will be welcomed by the city’s rate payers. However, without a continuous flow of electricity – throughout the year, and during the day and night – plans to light up the streets won’t be quite as impressive.
