Motorists should be compensated
Published:Thursday | December 12, 2024 | 12:08 AM
The EDITOR, Madam:
The Government of Jamaica should compensate motorists, financially or otherwise, for the time, energy, distress, as well as the disgust and physical and emotional discombobulation they expend, express and experience, every time they drive on our nation’s pothole and crater-riddled roads.
In this, the 24th year of the 21st century – in a country that has billions of dollars flowing into government’s coffers, each day, each and every month and each and every year; in a country that, probably, has more SUVs and more multi-storied mansions, per capita, than its Caribbean neighbours; in a country that has one of the highest residential and commercial construction rates, per capita, regionally and globally; in a country that has booming tourism, insurance, banking, real estate, rum, baking, telecommunications, motor vehicle and fast-food industries – a poorly maintained and pothole-riddled road network should not be the status quo.
The time and effort motorists have to expend, daily, weekly and monthly, negotiating potholes is mentally and physically exhausting, wasteful, anger-inducing and demotivational. To get from one end of Allerdyce, Charlton Road and Russell Heights, to the other end, is like playing a game of ‘Pothole Roulette’ or ‘Pothole Hit or Miss’.
Last, there was a time, long, long ago, when driving in and throughout the cities, towns, and parishes of Jamaica was a pleasure. Not any more!
PATRICK GALLIMORE