JIDP short-changing taxpayers on repairs
Published:Saturday | January 22, 2011 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
The Jamaica Infrastructure Development Programme has been rolled out. We are finally going to see the special consumption tax at work.
I had no opposition to a designated fuel tax that would improve our driving experience. Later, I learned only percentages of this tax would ever reach the road network and it took a long time to get there.
For the past few weeks I have seen signs advertising work to come. The information on the signs was confusing; road rehabilitation and asphalt overlay were the only types of work I saw advertised.
Granted, I don't drive much or too far from home. Just last weekend, I ventured further and saw micro-surfacing advertised for a particular road. When I saw that sign, I became incensed. It was now clear that I was not confused by terminology after being out of the business for a few years (I am a young civil engineer; I haven't worked specifically in transportation for 10 years).
For the life of me, I cannot figure out why micro-surfacing is slated for a road with holes eight inches deep and road rehabilitation for one with no holes. Nowhere have I seen 'mill and overlay' advertised, and I see so many locations within the Corporate Area that would benefit from that exercise.
Mr Mike Henry proudly announced Mannings Hill Road was started this week. It was micro-surfaced, I hope it lasts one year, even though I dont expect it will, since micro-surfacing is a thin, restorative surface suitable for roads with ruts 3/8 inch to 1 1/2 inches deep.
I haven't been on that road for a while, and it was much too deteriorated for micro-surfacing at the time. This is a prime example of limited engineering input and/or poor decision making. I am happy I am not one of the engineers at National Works Agency (NWA) who has to field calls from colleagues asking, "Were any of you thinking?"
I am sad to see my tax dollars wasted and I can only hope the signs I saw are the only ones that had no real technical input and the NWA will use some sensible solutions with proper engineering input to solve our road problems for the programme going forward.
I am, etc.,
LISE M. WALTER, PE