MAY PEN, Clarendon — Councillors in Clarendon are again calling on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to make funding available for the rehabilitation of flood-damaged roads. The minister responsible for roads Everald Warmington also got a fair share of barbs thrown his way. The coucillors vented their frustration at Thursday’s sitting of the council, where they asked that the roads be given urgent attention as traversing the parish has become a nightmare for the motoring public.

Councillor Scean Barnswell (Hayes Division, People’s National Party), who rattled off a long list of roads that need fixing, said the problem was pervasive across the entire parish.

“It is terrible, it is terrible. Not only in the Hayes and Rocky Point divisions, but all over. If it was left up to me I would dub the entire parish a disaster parish… that’s how bad it is. I have seen some roads and they are terrible. Cherry Tree Lane is terrible, Jackson Street is terrible, Georges Street is terrible, as are the areas in the hills that have had slippages and breakaways and scouring. So the entire parish… should be declared a disaster parish,” he argued.

The potholes in his division, he pointed out, were huge.

“Each time I traverse the division I represent I realise how much the roads are in a deplorable condition. These potholes are now called craters; that’s how big they are. I’m disappointed that after the visit of both the Minister [of Local Government Desmond McKenzie] and the Prime Minister [Andrew Holness], we are yet to hear from either the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development or the Office of the Prime Minister as it relates to flood-damage funding to rehabilitate these roads following the… last three tropical storms,” said Barnswell, who is the Opposition party’s minority leader in Clarendon.

As his colleagues from both sides pounded their desks in agreement, he called for action on long-made promises to provide funding to fix the roads because “we cannot continue as is”.

He also appealed for attention to be given to the roads that fall under the purview of the National Works Agency. Its failure to act, he said, was giving parish residents the impression that councillors are not doing enough to address the challenges being faced on the roads.

“The roads from Glenmuir Road to Scotts Pass, the entire Bustamante Highway, and from Jacob’s Hut all the way down to Milk River and several other pockets all are in a deplorable condition. Recently the taxi operators demonstrated in the hills because the road from Chapelton to Trout Hall is terrible,” he noted. “But there is little that we can do as the $3 million we are getting is not enough. I have 12 communities in the Hayes Division and every single one has bad road.”

Mayor Winston Maragh’s comment that he is hoping when Prime Minister Andrew Holness returns from overseas he will have good news did little to appease the annoyed councillors. Radcliffe McDonald, who represents the Toll Gate Division [JLP], did not mince his words.

“We are also calling on the minister with responsibility for roads, Everald Warmington. This is not politics but reality, as we are coming under serious pressure in our divisions and the people really deserve better. We need to put some pressure on the minister responsible for roads because I don’t see any roads being fixed in these constituencies. Yet, when I drive through the minister’s constituency, I see pretty, nice roads. So what happen to Toll Gate and the other divisions? We need to get pretty nice roads in our divisions as well. We really need some help in this parish, especially the Bustamante Highway. It seems as if it’s only when people block road they get a response and we don’t need to go down that road,” he said.

For his part, Councillor Collin Henry, Thompson Town Division (JLP), requested that urgent attention be given to the two major breakaways in his division to avert a serious accident. He pointed out that sections of Victoria Road and along the Thompson Town main road heading to Blackwoods had collapsed as a result of the last three tropical storms.

“The breakaways are very dangerous and so I’m calling on the authorities to do something about it. We are heading into the Christmas season and people from overseas will be visiting, some of whom are unfamiliar with the roads and it may pose a danger to them. I have reached out to the NWA [National Works Agency] and not even caution tape has been placed there. We need signs because it’s serious. We need some attention there,” Henry pleaded.