ALMOST a week after rehabilitation work was slated to begin on several deteriorating roads in the Seaview Gardens community in St Andrew, not much has been done to alleviate the problem.

Last week, Anthony Hylton, member of Parliament for Western St Andrew, told the Jamaica Observer that of the $10 million allocated to the constituency through the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP), J$3 million had been earmarked to address infrastructural problems in Seaview Gardens. Of that sum, he said, an estimated $2,830,000 was to be spent on road rehabilitation work in the community.

The work, he noted, should have commenced last Tuesday. Checks by the Observer up to last Thursday, however, revealed that no work had started on either Chesterfield nor Pacific Boulevard — the main roads in the community and the ones in the most deplorable state.

Residents enter the community on Chesterfield Drive and then turn onto Pacific Boulevard, which serves persons who live in both Phases one and two of the housing development.

Both roads have deteriorated to the point where they are almost non-existent, and are unuseable when there is heavy rainfall. The roads have deteriorated so badly that motorists — including Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus drivers — have started to drive on the sidewalks to avoid potholes, some, the size of bathtubs.

Problems with the roads is at the top of the list of grouses among residents in the community which is located beside the controversial Riverton City landfill. They also complain about mosquito-infested gullies which have become clogged with debris, with stagnant water adding to the stench which permeates the area.

The delay in fixing the roads, however, has infuriated residents, particularly taxioperators who last week threatened to stage a protest to call attention to the conditions. Some said their cries have been falling on deaf ears, and in interviewes with the Observer, have accused Hylton of “not giving a damn ’bout wi”.

“I think the community has been neglected far too long. Our MP has not been functional and does not seem to care about the residents of the community,” said Ann-Marie Warren, a resident of Seaview Gardents.

“When I drive on the road my car is just making pure noise, and I have to be buying parts all the time because of what I have to go through,” she said.

“And when the rain falls it gets worse. I am fearful to drive on the road because everybody is trying to negotiate the potholes and sometimes they cause accidents,” said Warren, grimacing also at the stink she said she endures from the gullies.

Keith Campbell, who has been operating a taxi in the area for more than 20 years, said the conditions have been affecting his business.

“The road is very bad, it is in a terrible state,” said Campbell. “Is not only taxi man it affect, it affects everybody because everybody is using it,” he continued, making reference to JUTC buses, as well as employees of surrounding business places who access their workplaces via the Seaview Gardens roadways.

“Is one time this road has ever been fixed in how many years, and it is not all of the road. Yes, we want the main roads to be fixed, but all of the roads in the communities are going bad. If we can’t get nothing from the authorities, then we will have to strike, but we (taxi operators) are watching to see what will happen by Monday (tomorrow),” said Campbell.

Last week, Hylton urged taxi drivers not to stage any protests, promising work would commence on the roads in short order. This, as he defended his record as a reliable parliamentary representative.

“I have always been the representative to hold community-wide meetings at the Christ the Redeemer Centre in Seaview Gardens, whenever there are any major issues affecting the community,” he said.

“Whilst this (road) issue still remains a sensitive issue for the community, I still feel we have come a long way. The community has all right to summon me to meetings to hold discussions on any issue affecting the community. I have always been responsive! Further, their cries have been heard and remedial work is set to begin early this week,” he said, and pledged to do more to assist residents.

According to the MP, the roads in Seaview Gardens were destroyed by rainfall, as well as water from clogged drains and gullies. He said that marl had been used by the National Works Agency temporarily patch some roads.

In addition, he said, road maintenance work to the tune of $39 million was also carried out in sections of the constituency, including Seaview Gardens, during the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

He said telephone calls, letters, and e-mails were sent to the former Jamaica Labour Party Administration when his People’s National Party (PNP) was in Opposition, but said resolution of the problems was hampered by a lack of funds.

Against this background, Hylton said that the residents’ accusations of inactivity, “are wholly misplaced”.