Dark Christmas in St Thomas

Several councillors in the St Thomas Municipal Corporation fear a dark Christmas as, according to them, their divisions remain unattended to by the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).

The councillors, who were speaking at their monthly meeting last Thursday, said they needed immediate attention as several communities in their area were without functioning street lights.

In her address, councillor of the Seaforth division, Joan Spencer, noted that although the report submitted by a representative of JPS outlined that repairs to utility posts were carried out in her region, she is yet to see proof of this.

"The report is very vague because it says repairs were carried out in Seaforth and sections of Blacksmith Lane, but where exactly? Because I don't see any street lights that were fixed, so this needs to be addressed," she said.

Spencer told Rural Xpress that some 20 street lights needed to be repaired in her division.

That number almost seemed incomparable to the division of Dalvey whose councillor, Michael McLeod revealed that 93 street lights in his area needed to be attended to by the JPS.

"The whole place is going to be in darkness this Christmas, because I have 93 lights to be repaired and there are a lot of overgrown bushes in the place.

Even those who get a little Christmas clean-up work are unable to do so because they can't cut the bushes along the roadside," he said.

McLeod noted that although he has reported both issues of the malfunctioning street lights and the overgrown bushes, he is yet to see a team from the utility company in his division.

Councillor of the White Horses Division Hubert Williams agreed with his colleagues, noting that the two street lights on his lane are also among the 80 that needs attention.

A report is to be made to JPS, as a representative of the company was not present at the meeting.

In the meantime, several teams from JPS can be seen in various sections of the parish cutting trees that have grown atop utility wires and into the roadway.

So far, the teams have visited areas of Grants Pen, Yallahs, Pamphret, Morant Bay, Lyssons and Port Morant.