PEOPLE who use the lay-by on the outside of Mandela Park in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew, where commuters board and disembark buses and taxis, are decrying the state of the drainage system in the area which has led to flooding, causing great inconvenience.

The complaints from bus conductors, vendors and commuters were many during a visit by the Jamaica Observer on Thursday. One female vendor told the Observer that the drains are not being cleaned by the authorities, which causes the space to be in a deplorable condition.

“Dem nuh clean it, because all when no rain not falling a suh it stay. Dem fi clean di drain dem! This is big, big Half-Way-Tree; big uptown. All white people mi see come tek picture. This is a big disgrace,” she said.

Bus and taxi operators said they experience difficulties when picking up and letting off passengers, due to the situation. They said in trying to avoid the water which settles in the area they end up committing traffic violations for which the police are quick to penalise them for.

“This is total foolishness. Nobody can’t take no bus. If the bus dem come in yah, the water run weh the people dem. The Government a ramp; all dem want to talk bout a tax. It makes it hard fi we load. We have to go beyond the white line and go under the traffic light to load the bus [so as] to avoid the water. If police come, we will get tickets,” said a bus conductor.

“When the park full…with water we have to run rat race to get the passengers because everybody bundle up in that small area where there is no water under the stoplight. Money affi mek, and the boss affi get money. If we go over the white line to let off and pick up passengers, the police ticket us. This has been going on for a long time and nobody is looking on it,” the conductor complained.

“They are doing nothing about the park. Right now, if two bus come in the park and push water on the sidewalk, all the people shoes wet up. Girls can’t walk in their slippers. This can cause ringworm,” the conductor said.

A drink vendor told the Observer he believes the problem is caused by poor engineering.

“I realise that a drain is right there but it is not functional; it is either it is too small or something. It is not ideal to deal with what is happening here. I listen to the people’s comments when they pass and they say it is poor engineering because the road seems to have a belly, and that is why the water seems to be sitting there.

“Why are the authorities tak[ing] so long to see this? This is a big square in the capital so I think they would have jumped on it. The drain needs to be redesigned , [or you can] abort that drain and raise the belly in the road so the water just runs go down the street. Or, [if the issue continues] it is going to turn out to be a feeding tree for some contractors and yu going have to be calling them back. You have some mad drivers and people get splashed,” added the vendor.

Meanwhile, one man who helps to load the buses with passengers said there is too much dirt and garbage in drains.

“Right here where the water settles is unbalanced, and di drain can’t hold the pressure of the garbage pile-up in it. Dirt from up the road helps to block up the drain,” he reasoned.