In Jamaica, ‘politricks’ can be described as the infusion of trickery, malfeasance, and voter manipulation in the body politic – using scarce benefits and spoils as the means to an end. In other words, in plain Jamaican parlance, it is the practice of Anancyism by wily political representatives to lure voters and reward them when they act in their favour.

Controversies and ‘cass-cass’ surrounding road works in Jamaica have been a never-ending story that speaks to corruption, voter manipulation, and neglect among other unfortunate aspects of what should be a developmental issue focused on providing for the citizens of this country a better quality of life.

It has been said that Jamaica’s road network is one of the most extensive in terms of layout – kind of similar to the fact that Jamaica has the most churches per square mile. As a result, no Jamaican Government, so far, has been able to sufficiently satisfy the needs of the population with respect to providing taxpayers with suitable road surfaces amenable to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Providing and fixing roads is also a multi-billion-dollar exercise, which, by its very nature, provides the greatest access to pork barrel politics.

Interestingly, whenever there is a spate of road repairs it is fair to assume that an election is in the offing. It is no secret that local government elections are constitutionally due next February and, from all indications, the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has begun to ramp up its electioneering machinery, which no doubt includes fixing roads. What better way to woo sceptical and fed-up voters, who have had to endure empty promises or total neglect when it comes to providing their respective communities with good roads.

Needless to say, many gullible citizens oftentimes fall prey to this trick (or treat?), especially when the roads in their respective communities have not received any worthwhile attention for quite a while.

Then there is the blatantly selective way in which roads in a bad state receive attention. For now, the focal point is the parish council elections, so roads in the divisions of councillors of the ruling party are likely to get preferential treatment and attention, while other areas may have to wait indefinitely. Indeed, a determination can be made as to which areas are likely to provide the most votes by driving around and observing the communities in which roadworks are being carried out.

Another vexing issue relating to road repairs is the quality of work done. To begin with, it is well known that there is a shortage of civil engineers so, in many cases, roadworks are carried out in an amateurish manner, with very little room for accountability. For example, roads are not cambered so that water can flow freely off the surface when it rains and, in many instances, no provision is made for a proper drainage system.

As a result, in no time potholes reappear with a vengeance, accompanied by new ones that await unsuspecting motorists to damage their vehicles’ front-end. Additionally, attempts at avoiding potholes have led to numerous crashes, some of which have been fatal. Regrettably, in such a scenario, motorists are unable to get redress or sue for meaningful recompense.

In the meantime, one of the perennial outcomes of the politricks of road repairs is the frequency with which there are protests, which usually take the form of roadblocks.

Trees are cut down to block the roadway — so much for climate change — in addition to just about any debris or abandoned items that the protestors can lay their hands on, including used mattresses, old refrigerators, derelict motor vehicles, as well as huge rocks, which are strewn across the pathway to ensure that neither vehicular nor pedestrian traffic can have easy or safe passage.

Jamaicans have a sense of humour even in the most vexing situations, so we have seen instances where trees have been planted in potholes to draw the attention of the relevant authorities.

Then, too, enterprising young men seeking to make a quick buck will fill some of these holes with dirt or marl and, in some cases, wet cement while seeking to extort a toll from passing motorists.

Of course, these actions are primarily aimed at embarrassing the political representatives for the area, both at the local and constituency level.

And the protests oftentimes yield the required results, so aggrieved citizens will continue to resort to blocking roads as the weapon of choice when they want to attract the attention of their political representatives. So much for our democratic way of life.

Indeed, this speaks to the deficit in effective representation because of the so-called Westminster-type parliamentary system which in essence leaves backbenchers to genuflect and beg for assistance from ministers who hold sway over the country’s coffers and technical resources.

This is wrong, so wrong!

The other side to this macabre picture is the spectre of corruption which continues to rear its ugly head.

Contractors are carefully selected by political representatives and party affiliates to ensure that there is the necessary kickback. This dirty money, apart from lining the pockets of the councillors and/or Members of Parliament, also goes towards the parties’ coffers to enhance the election war chest. And, in many instances, in order for the contractor to make a reasonable profit while being able to satisfy the sometimes-voracious appetite of the ‘politricksians’, they must cut corners, so the quality of work suffers.

Is it any wonder that the only roads that seem to last a long time without needing repairs are those built by the Chinese contractors or the bauxite companies?

The tragedy is that, in order to make the money go round, corners have to be cut so the road repairs are not done to specifications, which means that in no time potholes will reappear.

By the way, why are road repairs carried out during the rainy season? And why is marl used so profusely in road repairs when any layman can tell you that when it rains, marl swells. So, when vehicles drive on these roads, the tarred surface will more than likely crumble.

Why hasn’t the use of cement been fully explored? And, given the fact that asphalt is so expensive, has any comparative analysis been conducted in terms of cost and effectiveness?

In the final analysis, too much politricks is involved in road repairs and until there is a national policy shift that ensures that the country is getting value for money, then the feeding frenzy at the trough will continue as taxpayers’ money literally goes down the drain.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved in Jamaican media for the past 45 years. He has also served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica, where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.