ST JAMES, Jamaica (JIS) — The St James Parish Council is undertaking work to upgrade and beautify sidewalks along two major thoroughfares in Montego Bay.

The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has provided $13 million for the project.

The upgrading work is being done along St James and Barnett Streets to include Sam Sharpe Square, the City Centre area, St James Parish Library grounds, the historic Dome and the area known as ‘The Clock’ at the top of Barnett Street.

“We will be doing the sidewalks over, making them friendly for physically challenged persons, doing them with interlocking bricks at first world standard so that it can give that lift to the city of Montego Bay and lift to the minds of the people,” said Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Glendon Harris.

He told JIS News that areas will also be created for members of the public to sit and have conversations or study.

He informed that some amount of work is already taking place on minor roads with a view of ensuring that there is complete transformation of the city.

Mayor Harris said the hope is that the physical improvement of Montego Bay will motivate residents to keep the environment clean.

“We are looking at the mental aspect of it where people will see a clean, neat, inviting place (and) they will have that in their heads that they keep it clean and be a part of making the city as beautiful as it ought to be,” he pointed out.

He said that when this project is completed within the next month, the city will be rebranded and measures put in place to curtail illicit street vending and solid waste disposal.

He said the Parish Council is beefing up its cadre of mobile municipal wardens, who will work with members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to ensure that law and order is maintained across Montego Bay.

He informed further that four anti-litter wardens have been employed to date and another four will be hired.

“We are putting a motorcycle team together…and we will be out there on the streets enforcing the Anti-litter Act to ensure that persons, if you can’t hear…you feel it in your pockets,” Mayor Harris said.

He also pointed out that a proper maintenance programme has been put in place to ensure that the upgraded areas are not vandalised, destroyed or misused.

“These sidewalks will not be for vehicular parking. We will be enforcing the     no-parking rules and we will be towing vehicles away. The signs will go up and we will be enforcing the law when it comes on to that,” he told JIS News.