Cap-de-Ville residents worried as bridge collapses

MEMBERS of over 30 households at Chin Yeun Kee Trace, Cap-de-Ville in Point Fortin are concerned for their safety, as the bridge they use to get to the main road has collapsed.

Residents told Newsday it began collapsing in April 2020 when a large TT Electricity Commission (T&TEC) truck tried to carry a lightpole across the bridge, but proved too heavy. .

Since then, they had been calling on the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government to assist.

They said representatives came and took measurements but were never seen or heard from since.

During bad weather over the weekend, heavy rain made the bridge collapse even further and they said it is now a threat.

Bheydesh Motilal, a farmer and safety officer, told Newsday he had been in contact with Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr and Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh.

"They were aware of it, but every time we tried to follow up, they'd say there were no funds inside, so there's nothing they could do other than following it up.

Both men have since visited the bridge to see the full extent of the damage.

"They said someone from the drainage department would be visiting the area on Friday and more than likely, they would just come to assess how they would remove it...but where are we going to pass in the interim?

"If we have an emergency now, especially as we have senior people living here and we are in a pandemic, how are they getting to us? If somebody should attempt to rob us in the back here and we call the police, how are they getting to us?"

Another resident, Josephine Lowell, told Newsday she refuses to send any of the children in her household to the mini-mart any more because "that bridge is too dangerous for children to be passing on."

They said a Bailey bridge has been requested but the ministry said it has not yet located one which can be used.

Newsday tried contacting Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Kazim Hosein but all calls went unanswered.