3 Port of Spain streets get PURE upgrade

CHARLOTTE, Sackville and Richmond Streets in Port of Spain were repaired by the Programme for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (PURE) Unit of the Ministry of Works and Transport in collaboration with Jusamco Pavers Ltd on Sunday.

Minister in the Ministry of Works Richie Sookhai was on hand to speak to media during the roadworks. He said the ministry intended to extend the road-upgrade exercise throughout the country.

"We intend to cover as much as we can to be able to bring that level of standard that we have always been accustomed to."

Asked about the ministry's budget for the exercise, Sookhai said he did not have that information yet.

The ministry was allocated $3.7 billion in the 2022/2023 budget. The 2023/2024 budget date and allocations have not yet been announced.

On Sunday, Sookhai said he was unable to give a timeframe for the repair of all the roads targeted by the project. He said the pace of the work would be affected by the weather which, in turn, was being affected by climate change, but his ministry was actively working to improve the standard of TT's roads in the shortest possible time.

"So we're doing a thorough road-rehabilitation programme.

"In the past, there has always been a disconnect (between) what roads are (managed by) the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government or the Works and Transport Ministry and whatnot. We've taken a conscious decision that we need to drive this initiative forward.

"No longer we are passing the ball from one side to the other. And as a government, we know what needs to be done and we're getting it done."