RESIDENTS and commuters in Kingston and St Andrew can expect relief from poor road conditions within the coming weeks, as Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby announced that $220 million from the Parochial Revenue Fund will be used for road rehabilitation across the municipality.

“All 40 divisions will see essential roadworks carried out in their communities, whether through patching, resurfacing or repairs to critical sections,” said Swaby at the monthly Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) meeting on Tuesday.

The mayor told councillors that the funds will be directed from the Parochial Revenue Fund channelled through the Divisional Allocation Fund, and was a direct response to residents’ repeated concerns about potholes, damaged road surfaces, and poor road conditions.

Swaby, however, expressed regret that more could not be done, highlighting that because of a tight budget, all the work required for roadways to be adequately repaired would not be possible.

“At the same time, we recognise that this funding alone is insufficient to address all the parochial roads under our care. We wish we had additional resources as more funding would allow us to make a significantly greater impact on road conditions throughout Kingston and St Andrew,” he said.

Swaby has bemoaned insufficient revenue to fund road rehabilitation in the past, with his most recent appeal for an increased budget noted last month, when he argued that poorly managed repairs to community roads were not as a result of inaction by local authorities, but from a lack of adequate funding from the central government.

“The reality is that local authorities are constantly asked to do more with less. Local authorities are simply not funded at the level that allows us to properly maintain the roads under our care. The allocation from central government is woefully inadequate,” he said at the first KSMAC monthly meeting of 2026.

He added that the issue also stemmed from funds received for road management being further split to accommodate the maintenance of drains, carry out community programmes, and fund seasonal initiatives.

“On average, the KSAMC receives approximately $75 million per month through the Parochial Local Revenue Fund for road maintenance. That figure is a drop in the bucket when compared to the size of the road network we manage, and the funding available for the National Works Agency (NWA). By contrast, when the NWA undertakes drain cleaning or similar activities, it benefits from separate budgetary allocations that do not compete with the road maintenance funding,” Swaby said.

On Tuesday, Swaby told councillors that despite a stringent budget, the KSAMC would do all that it could to ensure that roadways were consistently maintained.

“Nonetheless, the KSAMC has to ensure that it conforms to strict procurement guidelines to ensure compliance as well as the best value for money,” he said.