Pothole fever infecting drivers

THE EDITOR: I wish to thank the Ministry of Health for the free flu shots. This is an amazing endeavour which will benefit all. Now to my gripe.

The roads of our nation are rapidly deteriorating and it is a nightmare for many vehicle owners who daily must navigate through deep and dangerous potholes. The roads in Tobago, I've been told, are in much better condition.

Our cars are being badly damaged and costs to repair them are becoming a regular burden for many. Everything in this country is expensive, including vehicle parts, tyres and fees from the mechanic.

This is an urgent plea to the Ministry of Works and Transport – take seriously the plight of thousands of motorists and patch, fix and repair our road network.

Don’t have money? Then consider demanding that some users of the roads, such as transport companies, trucks and tractors from quarries and trailer truck drivers contribute to a road repair fund, especially since these super-heavy vehicles are responsible for damaging the roads and highways in the first place.

Send a record of these contributions to Newsday so it can be published for transparency and accountability's sake and get to repairing and rehabilitating our roads.

Also, repair the roads properly and with proven materials. Too often a road that is repaired or potholes that were patched on a Monday will revert to its stage of disrepair by Wednesday.

Just as the Government is seeking to get its taxes from everyone eligible to pay, so too should they hunt down every pothole and road damage to repair them. I love my country but I hate its potholes. Driving now is too stressful.

Oh, and drivers, please use your indicators instead of leaving those behind or to the side of your vehicle to guess what you intend to do.

CAROLINE WILLIAMS

Morvant