TRELAWNY, Jamaica— Concluding that political representatives are ignoring them, irate cabbies who ply the route between Wakefield and Falmouth in Trelawny kept their promise and withdrew their service for a second consecutive day on Tuesday to call attention to the atrocious state of a section of the roadway.

“There is no representative come from the last time we been out here, nobody come and represent us, neither MP nor councillor, there was none,” an aggrieved Cleve Bailey complained.

His colleague, Lennox Winter agreed.

“All we need is just somebody to come and talk to us and see if they can even throw something in the holes because it is getting very deep and getting out of hand. Up until today no one has come to talk to us,” he told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Another cabbie who only gave his name as Kirk concurred with his colleagues.

“Nobody nuh count us because if we demonstrate (Monday) and nobody don’t come that mean they don’t count we. No MP, no councillor, nobody. We paying good tax in Trelawny,” he ranted.

However Member of Parliament Tova Hamilton has assured that she had heard their pleas. She has asked the taxi operators to be patient as $200 million has been allocated for the rehabilitation of the Martha Brae to Bounty Hall leg of the roadway.She said the project is now at the procurement stage.

Hamilton also told OBSERVER ONLINE that she informed transportation operators of the plan during a recent meeting that also included members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

“The contractor has been identified. We are just waiting to go through the process for execution. I already indicated to the taxi men of that area what the plan is. We met with them in Wakefield already. The plan hasn’t changed. We going along with it. We just have to be patient,” she appealed.

The Martha Brae to Bounty Hall road is part of the 16-kilometre thoroughfare between Falmouth and Springvale that has been a source of discontent for many years, resulting in several protests by residents and motorists.

Hamilton had initially lobbied for repairs to be done on the entire corridor. However, after discovering that the project would cost more than $800 million, which, she said, was unavailable, the first-time MP settled for undertaking the upgrading on a phased basis.

This resulted in a $200-million rehabilitation project on the Wakefield to Deeside corridor, which was followed by repairs on the Martha Brae to Holland road that was recently completed at a cost of $15 million.

Meanwhile, People’s National Party Trelawny Northern aspirant Dennis Meadows, who is in solidarity with the taxi operators, criticised the pace of implementing the planned project.

“As recent as April of this year, Minister [with responsibility for works Everald] Warmington made a grand announcement of a $200-million rehabilitation programme for the said road. Months after, the citizens are yet to realise that commitment. To add insult to injury, their cries for good roads have fallen on deaf ears; not a word from neither the member of Parliament nor the councillor. Their inaction smacks of gross indifference to the concerns of those they’re sworn to represent. The people of North Trelawny deserve better,” Meadows pontificated.

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