Point Hill rage over rotten road
NWA promises patching in a few weeks
Published:Tuesday | March 15, 2022 | 12:11 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Scores of enraged residents from six communities in St Catherine West Central joined taxi and minibus operators in blocking the Point Hill main road to protest the deplorable condition of the corridor, which they claim has gone unrepaired for more than a decade.
The roadblocks - mainly of felled trees - were mounted from as early as 6 a.m. and shut down access to commuters travelling to Spanish Town and other destinations.
Commuters, including schoolchildren, were left stranded, but some insisted on making their way around the tree trunks and branches to get to school and work.
National Works Agency (NWA) Communications Manager Stephen Shaw disclosed in a Gleaner interview on Monday afternoon that the stretch of road between Byles and Cudjoe Hill is slated for patching.
Shaw said the contractor had begun mobilisation work over the weekend but could not complete the job because of faulty equipment. However, he is expected to begin in a couple of weeks.
Earlier, a taxi operator who identified himself by the alias ‘Goldteet’ was forced to park his car, with passengers inside, and walk down the road to determine whether he could find a drivable path.
“Right now, mi haffi turn back with the passenger dem because no way mi a go get through this,” he said.
Transport operators wore contrasting looks of rage and resignation as they lamented the road conditions.
One minibus operator who requested anonymity said that the protesters were driven to action because they had no other choice.
“Something can be done to the road. We pressure fi do this. We no want to do it,” said the busman.
The police commissioned a front-end loader to remove the debris, but it wasn’t long before they were drawn back to the scene after the protesters remounted the roadblock.
St Catherine West Central Member of Parliament, who was in a Cabinet meeting on Monday, at the time took time out to respond to the protestors concerns.
He issued a statement to The Gleaner, confirming Shaw’s commitment that patching work would begin soon.
The Point Hill division has been unrepresented since the death of the sitting councillor, Wesley Suckoo, who was found dead at his home in December 2019.