Dear Editor,

Like so many Jamaicans across the length and breadth of the island I am concerned about the poor state of the roads in our communities, and dare I posit the deplorable condition of roads across the country is likely to be the worst since Independence.

I don’t think it can be successfully disputed that our roads were essentially neglected over the past decade as no area or constituency in Jamaica currently has a greater percentage of good, reasonably maintained roads than poorly maintained, pothole-riddled ones.

Notwithstanding the proliferation of poor road surfaces across the country, we are persistently hearing about special road rehabilitation programmes with multi-billion-dollar price tags — one after the other being announced — and there is no shortage of interviews and media coverage for these programmes.

It is to be noted that when a road is actually being repaired it is highlighted in numerous interviews by the minister and technocrats, almost suggesting some high and unique level of achievement when persistent ongoing maintenance of roads should be done routinely within budget cycles. I am suggesting the need for these special programmes is nothing short of confirmation of the prolonged neglect of the country’s roads.

Many of the roads have also been over-patched, creating unevenness — humps, bumps, and depressions — making the drive no less agonising than on pothole-riddled roads. One just needs to traverse Spanish Town Road for this experience.

Then there is the gap spanning months in many instances between potholes being squared up for asphalt and the asphalt being placed and compacted. The Bernard Lodge main road from Portmore to Spanish Town is one such example. Squared-up potholes slow traffic to a crawl, give a more turbulent ride, and is more destructive to vehicles. Thus the gap between squaring up potholes and filling and compacting the asphalt should be minimised.

Notwithstanding Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness declaring the deplorable road conditions across the country a national emergency back in 2024, many roads purportedly damaged by Hurricane Beryl have not yet been repaired and the general effort thus far and certainly the lack of results are not indicative of an emergency approach.

Given the billions being announced under ‘special’ programmes — such as Relief, Emergency Assistance and Community Help (REACH) and Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement (SPARK) — more contractors, including foreign contractors, need to be mobilised to expedite the rehabilitation of roads across the country. As such, the focus will be on performance and results instead of grand announcements, marketing, and public relations.

Michael Gibbs

perfecthighq@gmail.com