Take care on roads during rainy season

Although the North Coast Road was reopened on Thursday afternoon, after several fallen trees blocked traffic, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan called on all drivers to be vigilant and exercise caution on the roads during the rainy season.

Speaking with Newsday today, Sinanan said the ministry haD a programme, in collaboration with the TT Fire Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries, to look at other aged trees in the area. “The programme will be ongoing during the cause of the day,” he explained, “but the weather is a bit challenging. We have workers cutting trees that may fall at any given time, or overgrown trees that may cause danger to life or property.”

He added, “We are asking people to be cautious when or if they use the road. But the road has been passable since 11.30 am on Thursday.”

Asked if there had been any landslips in the area, Sinanan said on Thursday some trees came down because of heavy showers at around 4 am on Thursday, but at present there were no landslips.

He said there were some large trees which might become loose and come down onto the road eventually, but his ministry had been working on this issue, along with the Ministry of Agriculture. “We did this recently on the Lady Young Road, but while we were at the North Coast Road we identified a couple of other trees that should be cut down one time.

“We always advise caution on these roads, especially during the rainy season when we have a downpour, not only on the North Coast Road, but all the roads in the country that are prone to landslips and flood. We do monitor them, and take down as much as we can before they (trees) actually come down in the roadway.”