By Garwin Davis, Assistant News Editor
A section of the deteriorating road in Great Pond which was repaired last year but has since fallen into disrepair.- Norman Grindly/Staff photographer
MANY OF the roads throughout the North East St. Ann constituency which were repaired just ahead of last year's by-election have fallen back into a deplorable state.
This has prompted charges from residents, including the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), that the roadwork was hurriedly done for election purposes.
"It is an absolute disgrace," charged Shahine Robinson, Member of Parliament (MP), for the area.
"As soon as the result of the by-election was known, all the roadwork the government had started came to an abrupt halt. Great Pond, Windsor Heights, Mammee Bay, sections of Mile End and the road from Lodge to Union are all in a deplorable state," she said.
"These were roads that were started during the by-election last year and were abandoned soon after. Even sections of our tourist town of Ocho Rios are in a very poor state."
In fact, last month angry taxi-drivers demonstrated over the road conditions in the Great Pond and Dunnsville areas.
"It speaks of the shoddy workmanship that took place," Mrs. Robinson said. "Remember that on some of these roads, on the eve of the election, work was being done sometimes at even 2:00 a.m. Why aren't we seeing this kind of vibrancy now taking place?" she asked.
The charges are, however, being denied by Carol Jackson, the People's National Party (PNP) caretaker for the constituency.
"What the MP is saying is absolutely not true," Mrs. Jackson said.
"Work is going on at present on roads throughout the constituency and more work is slated to take place within the coming months. Priory was dug up but has been resurfaced since the election while work is going on in Windsor Heights. A lot of the streets in Ocho Rios and St. Ann's Bay are scheduled to start in a month's time."
Asked to explain the current state of the roads in a number of areas which were done during the by-election, Mrs. Jackson said that the heavy rainfall experienced throughout the latter part of last year was the main contributing factor. She charged that Mrs. Robinson had a tendency to "play politics with everything."
Much of the roadwork done throughout the North East St. Ann constituency last year coincided with the March by-election. This prompted charges of "pork barrel politics" from many residents but were denied by the Government.
The then Minister of Transport and Works, Dr. Peter Phillips, said the work was done to appease tourism interests who had been appealing to the Ministry to fix the roads.
