TAIF — Residents of Ashirah, north of Taif, said they are fed up with the frequent power outages that have occurred in the area for the past month and want the problem solved before Ramadan begins, Al-Madinah daily reported. Local resident Mohammad Ayedh Al-Otaibi said people are growing restless and have filed several complaints with the Saudi Electricity Company about the problem. “The company takes a very long time to get technicians to fix the problem. Sometimes, they take over four hours. We end up fixing the electricity boxes ourselves or buying an external power generator,” said Al-Otaibi. He urged authorities to fix the problem before Ramadan starts. “The kids won't be able to bear the heat without an air-conditioner. The quick fixes we are doing for just a few hours of cold air and food is not enough. We are afraid the constant power cuts are damaging our appliances,” said Al-Otaibi. “The company told us the electricity generator in Taif is overwhelmed. They said the single generator supports 30 houses and street lights,” said Al-Otaibi. Taif Electricity Company spokesman Yousef Al-Haza confirmed that the electricity generator had been overwhelmed but the problem has since been fixed. “There was another reason for the electricity cuts and it was a technical glitch in the programming of the generator. We have addressed the issue and as far as I know the power outages stopped in Taif and the people will be able to have a cool Ramadan,” said Al-Haza.
