ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Residents in St Elizabeth for the second consecutive week have mounted roadblocks to express their frustration with the pace of electricity restoration in parts of the southern parish.

A police source on Monday confirmed that the Smoothland main road is among the areas left impassable as residents used trees and other debris to block the road in protest over the lack of electricity.

“This is the major thoroughfare for motorists travelling between Leads and Santa Cruz,” said the source.

Residents told Observer Online that the Myersville main road and Southampton areas are also blocked.

Last month the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) issued a directive for Jamaica Public Service (JPS) to repair its damaged network infrastructure and to follow its August 12 schedule to restore electricity to customers who lost power during Hurricane Beryl five weeks ago.

However, on Thursday JPS advised that it has set a deadline of August 31 for sections of St Elizabeth, where its network was worst affected by Hurricane Beryl, for power to be restored.

— Kasey Williams