PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government continues to gradually organize overhead cables by encouraging commitments from utility providers to carry out underground network connections in a planned and responsible manner.

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan explained that the arrangement process began with the willingness of each utility company to participate, followed by a statement of commitment regarding the timing of the cable connection implementation.

"The process begins with willingness. Once they're willing to participate, each company must state when they will make the connection. This must be clear," said Farhan.

He emphasized that if the level of compliance is deemed insufficient, the Bandung City Government will not hesitate to issue a follow-up order accompanied by administrative sanctions, including those related to permits.

According to Farhan, collaboration on overhead cable arrangement has been underway in a number of areas, one of which is in the Buahbatu area.

In this area, the only cables remaining above the surface at this time are power cables.

However, he said that the arrangement could not be done haphazardly without considering the subsequent impacts.

For example, the 2.8 kilometer long Buahbatu road section produces around 14 tons of cable waste that needs to be handled seriously.

"I can't possibly make arrangements carelessly without thinking about the impact later," he said.

Farhan said that the arrangement of overhead cables must be accompanied by a commitment to three stages, namely preparation, implementation, and post-implementation.

The post-implementation stage includes handling excavations and restoring road and sidewalk conditions.

He added that overall overhead cable installation is targeted to be 100 percent complete this year. Within the first six months, the project is expected to reach around 50 percent completion, with full completion expected in the fourth quarter.

Farhan explained that the arrangement was carried out on both protocol and regional roads.

For protocol sections, the arrangement is targeted to be fully completed, while in regional areas, implementation will be adjusted to infrastructure readiness.

"We're completing each step according to plan," he said. (Bandung City Communications and Information Office/rka)