SHEFFIELD, Westmoreland — Without electricity since the passing of Hurricane Beryl nearly two weeks ago, residents of Sheffield in Westmoreland took to the streets as early as 5:00am Tuesday to block the community’s main road in protest against the Jamaica Public Service Company’s (JPS) failure to reconnect their power supply.

Sheffield is among several communities in Westmoreland still without power since the Category 4 storm passed just south of the island on Wednesday, July 3.

The Sheffield main road connects communities from Savanna-la-Mar to Negril. As the protest got underway on Tuesday, hotel workers were trapped as disgruntled residents insisted that no vehicle would pass.

“We waah light,” Shawn Wright, a resident of the community told Observer Online, “We cyaa deal wid di mosquito dem and di heat. How comes some people get back light and we cyaa get back none?”

Wright insists that the minute the police clears the road and leaves the area they will block the road again.

Many residents in the parish are getting restive about the service provided by JPS.

“On some [housing] schemes, houses are side by side and one has power and the other don’t have any,” Jane Williams said, adding “When I call one of my friends at JPS they are telling me that they have no light poles to replace the broken ones so we not getting back light for now.”

The residents were relentless as they stated that until power is restored in their communities they will continue to block the road.

— Rosalee Wood Condell