COUNCILLOR for the Annotto Bay Division Hugh Bryan (Jamaica Labour Party) says delays with street light repairs and garbage collection are major issues that have plagued the St Mary Division for years. He’s calling on the relevant authorities to act swiftly.

Bryan said the matter has been raised during monthly infrastructure meetings with the Jamaica Public Service (JPS). However, the problem remains. The light and power company acknowledged the complaints, citing resource constraints, according to Bryan.

“We meet with JPS on a monthly basis, and this is one of the things that I have been pointing out for months. I have a street light that has not been repaired for probably two years, and every month there are additional street lights that need to be repaired,” said the councillor.

He noted that in Annotto Bay there are upwards of 15 street lights that need to be repaired, with some utility poles located next to another that also needs repairs.

“Residents have expressed safety concerns for lights out, especially in the Port Arthur Lane area. Right on the Annotto River Bridge, I think two or three lights are out in that area, so the entire area is dark and persons have concerns,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

In response to the matter, JPS acknowledged that while most of the street lights in Annotto Bay are functional, there are a number of street lights that require attention.

“We are grateful for the ongoing engagement with Councillor Bryan, which has been very helpful in facilitating service to the residents of the area. Presently, although these street lights are a priority, the company is constrained by the greater need to maximise resources to restore those customers who are still without power following Category 5 Hurricane Melissa,” JPS said in a statement to the Sunday Observer.

The statement continued: “Notwithstanding, the team will be following up with the councillor and are fully committed to addressing his concerns and that of the community as soon as it is feasible to do so.”

However, faced with similar promises that the matter will be addressed, Councillor Bryan said he does not believe enough is being done to rectify the issue, which he said is due to changes in the reporting process.

“I think the main reason is that JPS has centralised the repairs of street lights. Normally, they used to do it from the local office, and that time we used to get better service, but since they have centralised the repairs of street light, nothing has been done,” said Bryan.

“…We normally would report the light at the Port Maria office, and they would come and repair. Now we give them a report, and people have to come from out of Kingston to do the repairs, so that is what is causing the problem, in my opinion. The people who come down to do the repairs, sometimes they come down and they will tell you that they only come with five lights, and that is for the entire parish,” Bryan claimed.

Turning his attention to the matter of garbage collection in the Division, the councillor said an open area in front of a fast-food restaurant in the town is cause for concern, because it has become a dumping ground.

“That is an area where most of the lanes are narrow, so the garbage truck is not able to go into the lanes or into all of the lanes. A person has to take the garbage out to a central point, so the parking lot in front of [the restaurant] is one such central point, but there is no receptacle…People just throw the garbage out, so I think the National Solid Waste Management Authority needs to provide the residents with a receptacle to hold this garbage until they can properly remove it,” he charged.

– Tamoy Ashman