Protestors clash with police over bad roads

SEETA PERSAD

Police and fire officers were called in to remove protesters blocking the roads in Sixth Company Village, New Grant yesterday morning.

Police formed a human barricade to remove the villagers, who had converged on the road. The angry villagers jeered at them, jumping and chanting, “Fix the roads.” Fire officers sprayed water to push the protesters off the roads and drivers had to wait on either side of the blockade while the road was being cleared.

MP for Moruga /Tableland Dr Lovell Francis said he tried to address the issue on Monday but was met with villagers hurling abuses at him.

“I explained to the villagers that I would do everything in my power to get the roads fixed,” he said, adding that when road workers moved into the village yesterday, the villagers prevented them from filling the potholes and bracing the caved-in land as an interim remedy.

Lovell said there are plans to repair the roads, build up the caved-in areas and pave during the year. The roads in Sixth Company had been affected by the rains, he said, since the last rainy season. The landslips happened after heavy rain in late December last year, and residents complained to him this had made transportation difficult.

“I visited the site with officials of the Ministry of Works and a plan was formulated to fix the major landslip,” the MP said, adding that after the protest on Monday it was agreed that work would start yesterday.

Francis said he was aware of yesterday’s protest, but was unable to visit the area and speak with residents as he had to attend an urgent meeting at the ministry.

Councillor for the area Michelle Benjamin said villagers were fed up with empty promises from Francis.

“The MP promised the villagers on Monday that he will start construction works on the road right away,” she said, adding that they resorted to blocking the roads a second time this week because Francis had sent trucks with second-hand material to throw on the roads.

Benjamin also said part of the Sixth Company Circular Road is almost impassable and one resident, Kizzy Scipio, lost two houses. This, Benjamin said, was a result of the heavy rain as well as years of neglect by the authorities.

Francis said he offered a down payment and first month’s rental of an apartment to Scipio.