Malaysian government allocates RM34 million for solar street lights on federal roads nationwide – Nanta

The Malaysian government has allocated RM34.19 million this year for the installation of solar-powered LED street lights at 362 locations along federal roads nationwide, reported Bernama.

Solar-powered lights were chosen for installation as they are more suitable in these areas which are far away from the electricity grid such as village and interior roads, and for locations prone to cable theft or vandalism, said works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.

“The installation of solar-powered streetlights will continue to be assessed in a targeted manner based on technical suitability, cost-effectiveness, maintenance requirements and the benefits of green technology,” he said.

However, replacing damaged conventional LED street lights in areas with existing electricity supply is more economical as the cost of installing solar-powered street lights are higher, with the battery component accounting for around 60% of the total cost, Nanta said.

In addition to the installation of solar-powered LED street lights, regular street lights would also be installed along a 26 km stretch of road from the area after the Genting Sempah tunnel to the Mempaga interchange through the KL-Karak highway widening project, which will be implemented in stages, according to the report.

A total of 13 accident-prone locations along the KL-Kara Highway and the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 (LPT 1) had been identified this year for improvement and mitigation measures, which include the installation of crash barriers, pavement rehabilitation and upgrades to road safety infrastructure, said the works minister.

Initial monitoring found that some upgraded locations had recorded an accident reduction rate of up to 100% compared to the corresponding period last year, Nanta said.

Add paultan.org as a preferred source on Google SearchAdd Follow paultan.org on Google NewsFollow