‘It’s a danger waiting to happen’

WESTERN BUREAU:

ORLEN DEERS, a resident of Glendevon in St James, is bracing for a head-on collision with the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) over his worries about the absence of a sidewalk along Felicity Road in the community. It is a concern which he says the authorities have ignored for years.

Deers, who is a justice of the peace, told The Gleaner that the need for a sidewalk to adjoin the roadway is heightened by the potential danger of passing motorvehicles to students of the nearby Albion Basic School.

“There is no sidewalk for the residents in Felicity Road to walk on, and for persons traversing the thoroughfare at peak hours, it is very inconvenient. If a student is going to the primary school and is traversing along that thoroughfare, they are at risk, because motorists have no patience,” Deers said with frustration in his tone.

“This situation has been going on for three years since the road was rehabilitated, with no sidewalk put in place, so the residents are calling on the authorities to do what is necessary,” Deers added, “The school children and the senior citizens are the most vulnerable in a sad situation like this, which is a danger waiting to happen. A student and a senior citizen from Felicity Road were mowed down in a tragic accident along this thoroughfare.”

He was referencing to the 2017 deaths of 52-year-old Franklyn Hylton and 15-year-old Shantae Rose, both of Glendevon addresses, after a motor car plowed into a group of pedestrians along a section of Felicity Road.

Rose’s mother and sister were also injured in the incident, which reportedly happened after the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake another motorist.

In addition to the call for a sidewalk, Deers also wants the authorities to address a drain near his home which is creating a mosquito nuisance for himself and other residents.

“In front of my gate is a drain with a large cavity, which is a breeding site for mosquitoes, and if there was a heavy downpour, there would be flooding. For six years I have been talking about it, and I am tired of persons coming to my home complaining about the same drain. And even recently three senior citizens confronted me and was talking about the risk it poses,” Deers explained.

“When I write the letters to the relevant authorities, they do not respond to me, they turn a blind eye. That is why I have to use this opportunity ... to get this to their attention,” Deers added.

PARISH COUNCIL ROAD

But Leeroy Williams, the mayor of Montego Bay and councillor for the StJMC’s Montego Bay North division where Glendevon is located, is rubbishing Deers’ claims.

“The road has been fixed and the drain has been cut underneath, and I do not see a problem there. So I do not see what the gentleman is complaining about. We have just fixed a new road to go up to Albion Heights and nothing is wrong with the main road, so I do not know what he is talking about,” said Williams.

“What he needs to do is that he would have to come and see me and tell me what exactly is his problem, because I do not know of an existing problem there.”

Meanwhile, Janel Ricketts, the community relations officer for the National Works Agency’s (NWA) western regional office, noted that the Felicity Road roadway is the responsibility of the StJMC.

“Even though we do work there, Felicity Road is a parish council (municipal corporation) road. We did some work there some years ago, but the road is very narrow there, so that is a part of the problem with the sidewalk issue, and it is the parish council that would have to address that,” Ricketts told The Gleaner.

In the meantime, Deers is challenging Williams to take greater responsibility for overseeing his division, including Glendevon and the Felicity Road area.

“With all due respect, the mayor needs to come and oversee his area, because that is his area. I would not tell a lie on the mayor and the councillors, but they are derelict in their duty. You are accountable to the populace,” said Deers.

christopher.thomas@gleanerjm.com