Dear Editor,

In the aftermath of the accident in Christian Pen, Portmore, St Catherine, on Thursday, February 26, 2015, in which 11 people were injured after the driver of the Hiace bus swerved to avoid a pothole, our government should be held accountable when it is discovered that the poor condition of the road was indeed a factor in the accident.

Jamaica is famous for many things, among them our breathtaking landscape, delectable cuisine, beautiful beaches and, as highlighted by our very own songbird Tessanne Chin on the international singing competition The Voice, our potholes and by extension our poor road conditions.

One such road hazard happens to be our wide collection of coffin-sized potholes that have developed, with no one assuming responsibility to fix them. Unfortunately, these potholes sometimes result in serious or fatal accidents, which are devastating for the victims and families of the deceased.

The roads in Jamaica are sometimes narrow, which makes it all the more difficult for a driver to manoeuvre around a pothole, which unavoidably increases the risk of having or causing an accident.

Secondly, after recently celebrating 50 years of Independence, Jamaica is yet to have guard rails constructed along our hilly terrain. This obviously is a disaster just waiting to happen. It is as if the Government is playing Russian roulette with the lives of citizens. I’m surprised that we do not have more fatalities on our roads, because there is absolutely no barrier between the driver and the precipice.

Additionally, more needs to be done to improve the response time of our emergency personnel. Twenty minutes to respond to an accident is completely unacceptable. The Government of Jamaica has the responsibility of ensuring these teamss are thoroughly trained and equipped to combat any emergency in a more suitable time frame, as this may help to save more lives.

I suggest that monetary compensation be paid to victims and their families following the necessary investigation and conclusion that the poor condition of the road played a part in the accident as well as the implementation of sanctions on the relevant government bodies. I’m certain that this effort would reduce the number of motor vehicle accidents caused by poor road conditions, because if our Government was being held accountable, then our roads would be in pristine condition. The Government of Jamaica needs to do more by making our roads more user-friendly.

Jollene

Jamaican