Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
Minister of Transport and Works Robert Pickersgill (left), in a heated argument with Mayor of Portmore George Lee (right), during a tour of the Portmore phase of Highway 2000, yesterday. Looking on are Millicent Lynch (second left), president of the Portmore chamber of commerce and Sharon Hay-Webster, Member of Parliament for south central St. Catherine. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
DING, DING, ding! Let's get ready to rumble! A tour of the unfinished Portmore leg of Highway 2000 by Government officials and contractors yesterday took an unexpected turn when a heated squabble broke out between Transport and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill and Portmore Mayor George Lee.
The mayor was upset about what he said was serious damage being done to roads in Portmore by overloaded trucks transporting material for the construction of the new highway. And in true George Lee fashion, he let Mr. Pickersgill have it.
It all started when the large air-conditioned bus in which the group was travelling came to a stop in the vicinity of the causeway. The group exited the bus and seemed to be enjoying the tour of the area. For a moment, all was well with the world. But this did not last very long, as the situation got ugly in a hurry, when Mr. Pickersgill started to address journalists about the progress of the construction efforts. It was a fuming Mayor Lee who cut him off mid-speech.
"I need to know what is going to be done about the roads that are being damaged!" he exclaimed.
To this, the Transport Minister responded, "I have already told you several times, the weight scales are going in!" But Mayor Lee would have none of it. He hit back with the clever: "But the damage is already done!" Round One, Mayor Lee.
INCREASED SANCTIONS
But the bickering did not end there. Mr. Pickersgill went on to try and calm the incensed mayor, by explaining to him that recent amendments to the Road Traffic Act will see increased sanctions being imposed for overweight vehicles. This only seemed to get the already riled-up mayor even more upset. "I have a problem with that foolishness, Mr. Minister!" he shouted.
With a puzzled expression peeking out behind his customary dark sunglasses, the minister retorted: "What you mean you have a problem with that? What you mean, you didn't want us to change the law?" Round Two, Mr. Pickersgill.
As the hissy fit ensued, the minister's public relations personnel tried to intervene. They quietly crept up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Ah, Sir, the sun is very hot, let's go back on the bus and we can discuss it further," they whispered. But their efforts, though persistent, fell on deaf ears. The verbal battle went on.
When both men returned to their corners and had calmed down significantly, they downplayed their earlier wrangling.
Mayor Lee admitted that he was pleased to hear the minister say that scales had been installed which would ensure that trucks would not exceed the weight limit. He, however, said he wanted to know when the already damaged roads would be fixed.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pickersgill said he fully understood the mayor's point about overloaded trucks doing damage to the roads. He, however, promised that with the amendments to the law and the installation of the weight scales, very soon the problem would be solved.
