KINGSTON, Jamaica — Residents from the Mount Airy and Mount Prospect communities in rural St Andrew this morning staged a demonstration in the Golden Spring Square over what they described as 'terrible' road conditions.

The peaceful demonstration comes at the opening of the new school year but there were no reports of pedestrians or motorists being hampered from going about their business.

The protesters say the road conditions are so bad that some students within the communities cannot go to school, while others have to walk for up to an hour to Golden Springs to get transportation to school.

"We need the MP [Member of Parliament] to come out but we don't need any more promises," said one resident.

The residents waved their placards shouting, 'Road! We need roads!'

Member of Parliament Paul Buchanan said the residents should expect road repairs to begin within the next four weeks.

Buchanan said the roads have been deteriorating for the past ten years and were to be repaired under the Jamaica Development Infrastructural Programme (JDIP), but that those funds have been depleted.

He said the Mount Airy to Golden Spring road is now set to be the first to be fixed under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme.