Week long protest in central Westmoreland * Area residents promise more roadblocks until roads fixed
Westmoreland — Area residents used trees and other debris to block sections of the Hertford to Williamsfield main road for much of this week to protest against the pothole riddled road that leads to Grange.
The angry residents started to vent their anger on Monday by mounting a massive roadblock on the Hertford main road, bringing vehicular traffic to a halt for most of the day. They continued their actions throughout the week, and have vowed to continue blocking the road until their Member of Parliament, Dr Karl Blythe, addresses the deplorable state of the road.
According to the residents, since Monday’s protest, Dr Blythe has requested that marl be sent to the area. But they charged that they were told that they would have to spread the marl themselves. Arguing that it was the government’s responsibility to facilitate them, the taxpayers, residents were adamant that they would not engage in any roadwork.
On Thursday, several loads of marl were observed along the road leading to Williamsfield. But now, the very presence of the marl has become a source of anger as residents foresee it being washed away as soon as it rains. They also insisted that the use of marl was not the best method of repairing the roads.
“A asphalt road we want, we no somebody to?” asked one irate resident, who did not want his name published.
In the meantime, taxi operators who ply the Savanna-la-Mar route have complained bitterly about the high cost of operating in the area because of the poor condition of the roads.
“It a mash up me front-end. It also a damage me tyres, and right now me have a bad tyre,” said one taxi operator. “The road well want fix, a long time it stay so and me a support the man them who a block the road.”
Another operator complained that he was forced to spend approximately $8,000 per month to maintain his taxi.
“The road affecting me bad. Me want it fix now sah,” he said.
The taxi-men also added that the bad road was now exposing them to gunmen, who often attacked them when they check their speed to travel on the pothole riddled sections of the road.
“Gunmen hold-up taxi-men on this road recently and shot two persons,” said one resident.
The entire area is surrounded by several cane fields, which are sometimes used by criminals to elude the police and residents.
