Letter of the Day | Who holds the Government accountable?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

While I support the Government’s new and improved Road Traffic Act and the reason why this new piece of legislation is necessary, and, further, that every motorist should be held to account, whenever he/she is in breach of the traffic laws, who, I wonder, holds the Government accountable?

Whenever a pothole, some the size of a mini-crater, appears on a busy road, and motorists have to veer out of its path, and that pothole remains a ‘feature’ on that road for several weeks or months, who holds the Government accountable?

When streetlights are defective, thereby making it harder for drivers to negotiate their journey along that road at night, who holds the Government accountable?

When traffic lights, some at major thoroughfares, are defective, thus increasing the chance of an accident, who holds the Government accountable? When ‘important persons’ with police outriders in tow zip through traffic and traffic lights on our nation’s streets and the flow of traffic is disrupted as a result, who holds the Government accountable?

When motorists have to contend with windscreen wipers at several major traffic-light stops throughout the day, who holds the Government accountable?

To borrow a phrase, and title, from a recently published Gleaner article, written by my favourite columnist, Gordon Robinson, ‘one han’ cyaan clap’. Accountability is not a one-way street.

PATRICK GALLIMORE