No plans in place for streetlight on troubled Negril road, says TEF boss

WESTERN BUREAU:

Dr Carey Wallace, executive director of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), said there are currently no plans in place by the organisation to spearhead any efforts to address the street-lighting concerns of persons using the Orange Bay to Negril roadway.

In a recent Gleaner article, motorists, workers and residents called on TEF to take the lead in getting street lights, similar to those along the Elegant Corridor in Rose Hall in Montego Bay,

St James, installed along the roadway from Orange Bay to Negril.

However, while explaining that he was aware of the concerns being raised and that it has been the topic of several discussions at Negril Chamber of Commerce meetings, Wallace said it was not one of the current projects on the TEF calendar.

"The TEF is responsible for ensuring that tourism and all the resort towns are enhanced, and we are working on many projects as we speak," said Wallace. "In Negril in particular, we are working on the mini-stadium, and this project (the roadway) is one that could do with some assessment."

However, Wallace said for TEF to address the street-lighting situation, there is a process to be followed, in keeping with the selection and implementation of projects. He said that simply complaining in the media will not get projects implemented by the organisation.

MORE THAN 100 PROJECTS UNDER WAY

"To be honest, this project is not one that is on our books now, as we have over 100 projects under implementation across Jamaica at present," explained Wallace.

According to him, applications for the implementation of projects have to go through the process of a review by the board of directors of TEF, and based on its budget, they will then determine the projects and programmes that the organisation will work on for the ensuing year.

Wallace also admitted that all the resort towns across the island are in need of some amount of upgrading. He said that there are destination assurance councils set up across the island that work along with the Tourism Product Development Company on a regular basis to look at the needs of the resort towns, the information from which will flow back to the TEF board for a determination of which projects will be implemented.

"We want everything to be safe for our tourists and locals alike, but there is a process," said Wallace. "Now that we are aware of the situation, we will pay some attention to it and see what can be done. We will have to do some scoping and review it."