KINGSTON, Jamaica — A small group of placard-bearing protesters from the Plantation Heights community in St Andrew on Monday morning gathered along the Mandela Highway to voice their disgust with the country’s utility service companies, particularly the Jamaica Public Service (JPS), regarding lack of light, road and water.

Speaking with Observer Online, resident Anton Young called for Government intervention in a long-standing unresolved issue in which it is alleged a JPS worker removed street lights which the company has yet to replace.

“For the longest while JPS workers — I caught JPS workers in a bucket truck, orange front bucket truck, Leyland truck and a white van removing the street lights off the road. We called the Duhaney Park police, the police came and arrested and charged the JPS worker in his uniform removing the street light and it was placed before the court,” Young claimed.

He continued, “Now we met with JPS on several occasions and they promised to replace the street lights and they have not replaced the street lights, they refuse to replace the street lights and we’re calling on JPS — the JPS board and the Government to ensure that the JPS replace our street lights.”

Young said the group was also protesting against the poor conditions of roads and lack of water.

“The road mash up and we want roads, we want water, we want lights, we want them to replace the light, the street lamps because we are afraid because we are in total darkness,” he said.