Truck breaks wooden bridge

After years of complaining about a dilapidated wooden bridge, a Penal community’s worst fears were realised yesterday when a truck broke down the bridge leading to their homes.

Up until 5pm yesterday, the Bedford truck remained across the bridge blocking any vehicular access to homes in Rajkumar Trace, Penal. Those who were on foot were forced to walk on the bridge alongside the truck to get in and out of the community.

About 30 people live in Rajkumar Trace and many are farmers.

The truck’s owner, Darrel Jadoonanan, told Newsday he was reversing into the street to drop off a tank of water when the accident occurred.

He said initial assessments by his mechanic showed the truck’s chasis, rear wheels and axels were broken.

Jadoonanan said he informed the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) about the incident but when the corporation’s equipment came on site, he was told he had to try to drive the truck out himself before the corporation could assist.

“That truck cannot drive out of there, too many parts have been broken off and damaged and it will not be able to drive,” he said.

Resident Sunita Ramnarine said she was at a loss as to how she will take her produce to the market to sell.

“I am a farmer like most people in here and right now I am picking squash and hot pepper, people know me as the “Bird Pepper Girl” I don’t know if my goods will stay and rotten cause I can’t carry it out to sell,” she said.

She said for years the residents have complained about the bridge.

“That bridge has broken down already and anytime they come to do anything with it, they just add more pieces of wood and leave it just so. When rain falls, inside here floods and the bridge already lower than the road, so it covers with water, you can’t see where it is when you have to cross.”

Another resident, Hazra Kunjal, who is pregnant said she too is worried about how long their community will be cut off.

“I have clinic on Thursday, I have three children, if something is to happen to us inside here how an ambulance coming in here? How we getting out?” Kunjal asked. PDRC vice chairman Diptee Ramnath visited the area and spoke to residents. Ramnath is also the councilor for the area.

He told Newsday he has been asking during infrastructure meetings at the PDRC for the bridge to be replaced with a concrete bridge but was told any remedial works would have to be done in last quarter of this year.

He said he was also requesting for a Bailey bridge to be installed in the interim and was awaiting feedback from Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein.