Save us from the craters on the roads

THE EDITOR, Madam:

On September 11, a pothole on the Old Harbour main road caused the deaths of two and another person is in serious condition. Motorists continue to feel the pinch as they navigate potholes. On August 25, there was a halt in operations at the Sangster International Airport because of repairs to the asphalt on the runway.

One resident, at a demonstration in St Thomas lately, made the point that a vehicle has to be fit to drive on the road but the roads are not fit for vehicles to be driven on. It has become increasingly difficult to drive at nights because of sharp-edged potholes that will burst tyres, bend rims and cause accidents. This forces motorists to invest in superbright, blinding headlights to illuminate their path. This, however, creates another problem to oncoming motorists. The reality is one has to be forking out thousands of dollars at the mechanic because of the substandard roads riddled with potholes across the island. .

It is the same situation on Spanish Town Road and sections of Mandela Highway, huge potholes await, sections of the the road are unmarked, and the road surface is wavy. Rousseau Road and Waltham Park Road are another nightmare. St John’s Road and the road to Meadowrest Memorial Gardens will wake any dead. Even animals will have a hard time walking on them. It is a disgrace the state of the road from Junction to Black River in St Elizabeth, from Alexander to Spaulding in St Ann, Brown’s Town to Falmouth, and many more tracks disguised as roads.

It is grossly unfair for motorists to be paying taxes, buying rack and pinions, tyres and a host of other parts to repair their vehicles caused by bad roads. It is the prerogative of our leaders to make us better but we are having a hard time embracing that notion. I appeal to the National Works Agency to save us from falling into the craters on our roads.

HEZEKAN BOLTON

h_e_z_e@hotmail.com