Posted by - January 24, 2019

Utility service providers urged to announce excavation works on online portal ‘Call Before You Dig’

SHAH ALAM: Utility service providers have been urged to cooperate with the Malaysian Access Forum Bhd (MAFB) to disseminate information on maintenance works to be carried out via the portal ‘Call Before You Dig’ (CBYD).

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jailani Johari said this was to allow companies which had assets underground to be aware of the matter and take appropriate measures to ensure their assets are not affected during the works.

“we know that when excavation works take place they damage the underground cables. So, when we have the CBYD portal, it will provide a heads up to industry players of the excavation works which will be carried out.

“The portal is also the fastest and most effective method to disseminate information on excavation works and this can avoid large losses in the event of cable damage due to the negligence,” he told reporters after launching the portal here, today.

MAFB chairman Datuk Mohd Taib Hassan was also present.

Jailani said since CBYD’s introduction earlier this year, five telecommunications companies, namely Celcom, Digi, Maxis, Time and TM had partnered with MAFB.

“In addition to the communications and utilities sector, the ministry also advises other parties such as the Public Works Department and local authorities across the country who carry out field works such as road repair, to join the initiative by MAFB,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohd Taib said the method used in CBYD was similar to that practised in other countries by way of a notification made to a ‘call centre’ and the information regarding the work of excavation or dredging to be carried out was then passed on to all utility and communications firms.

According to him, CBYD was also the first initiative in the region which used the online method.

“Since the introduction of CBYD, we find that the number of incidents of damage to cables as a result of dredging has reduced a lot. According to statistics by telecommunications companies involved, for the first two quarters of this year, there were only five cases of cut cables, compared to 34 in the same period last year.

“This is a good achievement, and the five cases involved excavation works that were not listed on the portal,” he said. — Bernama