EU’s VHR radio project ends

 By DOROTHY MARK

THE European Union’s VHR radio project was completed yesterday with the final installation at the Madang provincial works office.

The work was carried out by TE PNG’s Lae branch whose communications technician Michael Maima said the VHR radios were set up in all provincial police stations, health, disaster, education, works and transport, agriculture and livestock, and fire stations. 

Maima said the project of installing the radios began last November at a cost of K2 million funded by the European Union.

“These are simple VHR radios with 10-20 watts that can only reach out to some 50km,” he said.

Maima said the radios could be transmitted further if additional payments were done to have them connected to existing transmitters for radio waves to reach very remote centres.

Transport inspector for small crafts Pascal Yali said the set-up was disaster-related.

“It is a universal set up for all major government departments to quickly respond to disaster and emergency situations,” Yali said.

He said the works office would quickly relay or be informed of disasters in the province involving roads and bridges.

Yali said other areas affected would also be informed through this radio network.