THE importance of an efficient road network to national development cannot be overstated. The movement of people, goods, and services between communities, towns, and cities is fundamental to economic activity and our quality of life.

For farmers, investors, businesses, and visitors alike, good roads are not a luxury; they are essential infrastructure. Jamaica’s road network has, for generations, been divided between central and local government. There may once have been sound reasons for such an arrangement, but the country has changed considerably.

Our infrastructure must now be managed to meet modern demands and engineering standards. Too many of our roads, particularly those under local government control and those classified as farm roads, remain in deplorable condition.

Many lack adequate drainage, proper profiles, signage, and other essential features, while some were never constructed on foundations capable of withstanding the demands now placed upon them. Poor maintenance, extreme weather, and climate change have compounded the problem.

The public’s frustration is understandable. It is made worse when, after reporting a defective road, citizens are confronted with explanations about which authority is responsible for fixing it. Against this background, the Government’s push for a one road authority makes sense.

The concept is hardly new. It was being actively pursued as far back as 2010, when then permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works, Dr Alwin Hales, told Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee that discussions were under way with the Office of the Attorney General on the administrative arrangements and legislative changes required.

Significantly, that committee heard complaints about the poor condition of parochial roads and delays in the disbursement of funds for repairs. The strongest opposition to a single road authority appears to have come from local government bodies. That raises an obvious question: Why? The argument they advance is that centralising responsibility for roads would weaken local government.

That concern deserves to be examined honestly. If the real objection is that local authorities would lose control over road projects and the associated allocation of public funds, then the issue is less about protecting local government and more about shielding a system in which political patronage can influence the distribution of the public purse.

Road construction and maintenance should not be a vehicle for political pork. They should be driven by need, engineering priorities, economic importance and objective assessments of road conditions. The National Works Agency already has responsibility for facilitating the construction and maintenance of roads to appropriate standards.

Bringing responsibility for the entire network under a properly constituted authority could therefore provide greater coordination, consistency, and accountability. But creating a one road authority will achieve little if it is merely a change of name. It must be properly resourced, with adequate funding, skilled personnel, equipment, and the operational autonomy necessary to discharge its mandate effectively.

Just as important, the authority must operate within firm systems of transparency and accountability. Its performance should be measured against clear targets, including road conditions, maintenance schedules, project delivery, expenditure, and value for money. There must be consequences when targets are missed and regular public reporting of results.

Works Minister Robert Morgan has said that the one road authority is intended to move Jamaica from confusion to coordination, from fragmented responsibility to clearer accountability, and from short-term reaction to long-term road-asset management. That is the direction in which the country should be moving.