Electric pole in the middle of the road when widening the traffic route

Responding to the new rural development program, recently, people in the whole province have actively participated in donating land, moving walls, moving fences, cutting down trees, dismantling auxiliary structures... to expand rural roads. However, when the roads are expanded, many electric poles that were previously located close to the edge of the road are now located right in the middle of the road, which is very dangerous for traffic participants. However, moving electric poles before expanding rural roads is currently a difficult problem for localities.

According to the regulations of the Provincial People's Committee, when constructing roads in villages, if electric poles are moved, the People's Committees of communes and towns will take the initiative in funding the purchase of materials and arranging construction machinery; the electricity sector will only support technical safety, cut off electricity during construction, remove meters, provide technical guidance on digging holes to bury poles, conduct technical acceptance, and reconnect electricity to the people. Based on that, when expanding roads, the People's Committees of communes and towns will notify the electricity sector to have a plan for coordination. The electricity sector of districts, towns, and cities will send staff to support the locality to ensure the project is implemented as quickly as possible.

Electric pole in the middle of the road when widening the traffic route — **An electric pole blocks traffic in Tien Ngoai commune (Duy Tien).** Photo: Tran Thoan

However, not all localities have the budget to relocate electric poles when expanding rural roads, so many electric poles are still "blocking" the middle of the road. In Tien Ngoai commune (Duy Tien town), Lam Ha ward, Phu Van commune, Tran Hung Dao ward (Phu Ly city)... although the road has been expanded, electrical works such as transformer stations and electric poles are still located in the middle of the road and have not been relocated, causing traffic obstruction, loss of urban beauty and frustration for the people.

Mr. Luu Dai Nghia, Director of Phu Ly City Electricity, shared: Electric poles located in the middle of the road not only affect people's travel but also directly affect the electricity industry. Because, when electric poles are located in the middle of the road, if traffic participants are not paying attention and an accident occurs, we will also be implicated. However, moving electric poles according to the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, we are ready to arrange workers to coordinate, and communes and wards must arrange vehicles, machinery, materials and construction sites. During the implementation process, localities need to calculate and estimate funding sources, hire workers to do the work, and the electricity industry will coordinate to provide technical support and ensure safety to move electric poles with localities, contributing to ensuring aesthetics and safety for people participating in traffic.

Mr. Phan Cong Toan, Director of Binh Luc Electricity Company, said: There were peak years when Binh Luc Electricity Company coordinated to move nearly one hundred low-voltage electric poles. However, in many meetings of the District People's Council, voters of communes proposed to quickly move electric poles when expanding traffic roads. Binh Luc Electricity Company also responded very clearly about the responsibility of the locality and the electricity industry. In my opinion, the industries and localities need to carefully calculate and have plans to move electric poles before expanding traffic roads.

Tran Huu

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