Dear Editor,

I am a resident of Gordon Town and I have been marooned since November 8, 2020.

Garbage has now spilled over into the street seeing that National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has not used the alternative route designated by the National Works Agency (NWA) to come and collect our garbage.

I am afraid that damage from the road breakaway is often understated and underplayed by both the NWA and the wider Jamaican Government.

Imagine asking residents to use a three-hour alternative to get to their jobs in Kingston, using the Irish Town route? Savage Pen is another route highlighted by the NWA for us to use as an alternative; however, those who know that road know that it is steep, and if you don’t have a four-wheel drive you shouldn’t risk it at all.

I am waiting on NWA to finish working on that route to see it for myself, but I can’t help but ask: Why waste three weeks fixing an alternative that will not really provide an alternative for residents considering taxis will charge $500 for a ride into Papine?

I am asking the Government to pump all resources into finding viable road options for the people in Gordon Town before the unthinkable happens. I would hate for an emergency to take place late at night, for example, needing a quick hospital trip to save a life. I would also hate for those who are marooned to risk crossing the breakaway and fall to a 80 feet death. And, finally, before there is an outbreak of some unknown illness from the garbage that now lies in the street and permeates the air.

The worst part of this is that residents brought attention to that exact portion of the Gordon Town corridor to elected officials. They lamented for years that it is an accident waiting to happen, yet no measures were taken to support the fragile infrastructure of the road.

It is important that the Government, and specifically the NWA, be frank with Gordon Town residents. Let us know if the breakaway can be fixed and how long that might take. Put resources and energy into fixing this issue immediately to show some respect to the people who live here. We pay taxes, too!

Concerned resident