Looking at the road ahead

THE EDITOR: I thought about sharing a 2023 New Year’s message but I am pre-empting any message to speak on behalf of my constituents about something which continues to plague us all. Bad roads.

Despite no work having been undertaken by the Secondary Road and Rehabilitation Company, the Rowley-led Government allocated an additional $100 million to it. The Government has promised that we can expect an aggressive road repair programme to be rolled out. But my constituents and I would like to know from the decision-makers across various levels of government which roadway improvements are top of their minds, action lists and deadlines for the programme.

My constituents are tired of swerving around potholes. Many say it is as bad as the spiralling crime, somewhat like dodging bullets every time you get into your vehicle. Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists are worried for their safety as many potholes are being transformed into craters.

Some roads in my constituency, such as Ajodha, Bejucal and Warren, and Ramlal and Alligator Traces are non-navigable. The entire Bejucal, Ajodha and upper Warren Roads make up one big pothole at the heart of the constituency as the entire stretch of the roads is crater-like.

The constant rain makes things worse. After rainfall, what on the surface looks like a puddle is deep enough to crack axles. On some the erosion is so bad vehicles are skidding in mudslides. Many schoolchildren are forced to walk barefooted through the mud-gravel surfaces to get to school. At nights, these pothole-ridden, worn-out roads and poorly illuminated stretches with craters are dangerous for motorists and pedestrians.

The state of the roads also slows down official vehicles, like police cars, ambulances and other emergency vehicles. Residents of Bejucal Road are also complaining that due to the pothole-riddled and remnant gravel/mud road their mail delivery has been unreliable.

Travel time to health centres and hospitals is gravely affected by the bad roads. In ambulances, sometimes the bumpy ride hampers and/or prevents procedures which paramedics need to carry out on the patient. Some paramedics have complained that due to the medical equipment, like monitors and blood pressure testers, shaking up, they are unsure whether the readings are accurate.

More seriously, while I am not in a position to verify the extent of any adverse effects, pregnant women have complained of discomfort caused by travelling on these bad roads. In many areas where the taxis have refused to work due to the bad roads, safe and reliable transportation is now inaccessible to women, children and the elderly.

Apart from the human cost, there is also an economic cost. The damage to vehicles caused by potholes can range from $300 and up, with some fixes topping $7,500. Costly repairs entail replacement of hub caps, new tyres, new rims, suspension arms, steering linkages, shock absorbers.

Notwithstanding, the extent of bad roads has not been correspondingly good for the business of mechanics and repair shops. Financial constraints are causing a lot of people to neglect proper maintenance of their vehicles, with the end result being a major safety concern.

While we await the long-overdue road works I make these suggestions to the Government:

1. Immediately launch an online platform to give citizens an opportunity to register their observations of bad roads not being attended to by relevant authorities.

2. Consideration ought to be given to the establishment of a fund from which motorists would be able to access money to fix their vehicles subject to certain basic criteria being satisfied.

3. As we move forward, we need to hold engineers and other relevant personnel as well as errant contractors liable for poor and substandard road works.

Reliable transportation is needed for easy access between communities, accessibility of essential services, facilitating transportation to workplaces and schools. This means that bad roads are not just physical inconveniences and can have a negative ripple effect on entire communities.

We cannot keep going down the same old road in the new year.

DINESH RAMBALLY

MP, Chaguanas West