Maintaining Jamaica’s road network requires a modern fiscal model

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Jamaica’s secondary, tertiary, and farm roads are the true arteries of national life. They carry our people, goods, and daily services that sustain communities and fuel economic activity. Their upkeep, therefore, cannot remain an afterthought. Maintenance must have a defined and reliable place within the national budgeting framework, aligned with the expansion of the modern highway system.

Currently, toll revenues support the maintenance, operation, and long-term replacement of highways. This model has attracted international partners and delivered world-class infrastructure. However, it provides no structured support for the thousands of miles of secondary and tertiary roads that feed into these highways. This imbalance is neither sustainable nor fiscally responsible.

I commend Mr Denton Moore for raising public awareness in his June 17 letter. His observations reinforce a shared truth: Jamaica needs a targeted, efficient, and adequately funded strategy to maintain the roads that keep the country moving.

Proper maintenance extends beyond asphalt repair. It includes coordination with utilities, stormwater drainage, debris removal, vegetation control, sidewalks, shoulders, lighting, signage, and lane markings. When any one of these elements is neglected, deterioration accelerates.

Local parish budgets alone cannot meet this demand. As the highway network expands, the fiscal model must evolve. Over the past decade, the ratio of local roads to highways has shifted significantly, presenting an opportunity to link a portion of toll revenues to local road maintenance.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has emphasized a shift toward integrated infrastructure planning. For this approach to succeed, maintenance funding must also be modernized. A small, dedicated share of toll revenues would provide a stable and predictable funding source for the local road network.

This is not just an infrastructure issue, but one of national resilience and long-term planning.

PATRICK BECKFORD
FLORIDA