MANCHESTER, Jamaica—Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, Rhoda Moy Crawford has criticised councillors and the Manchester Municipal Corporation for what she says is their inadequate response to repairing parochial roads.

Two days following a protest by residents of Brokenhurst, Patrick Town and Ellen Street in Manchester over deplorable road conditions, Crawford said Brokenhurst borders Manchester Central and Manchester Southern.

“The Brokenhurst corridor that I know is an NWA corridor and while the majority of Brokenhurst falls in south Manchester I will still make representation on behalf of the people in Brokenhurst to the NWA parish manager and also to Minister Morgan, but I want to urge the political representatives at the parliamentary level and the municipal corporation level to make adequate representation on behalf of their people and not to hide behind my popularity,” she said on Wednesday.

“A lot of people associate anything to do with Manchester as ‘Rhoda Crawford has responsibility’. They are to get up and get out there and face their constituents and get the work done on behalf of their people,” added Crawford.

During Monday’s protest in Brokenhurst, residents called for the repair of the Patrick Town road, a parochial roadway. Councillor Karl Smith (People’s National Party, Knockpatrick division) promised to continue lobbying for the repair of the community road.

However, Crawford chided Smith for his response to parochial roads in the Knockpatrick division.

“I took note of a comment from Councillor Karl Smith and while it is good that [he] will take steps to speak to Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie for funds to see to the repairs of the parish council roads, it is very unfortunate that the councillor for the Knockpatrick division is not fully aware of his the outlay of his borders,” she said.

“I want to go on to further state that it appears to me that this issue could be very well one of the reasons why so many of the parish council roads in the Knockpatrick division are in a deplorable state, and many [of those roads] I have had to be seeking funding… to see to the repairs,” added Crawford.

She called on other political representatives in Manchester to adequately represent their constituents.

“The Patrick Town community and Ellen Street community fall in south Manchester. They fall in the Newport division of South Manchester, represented by Member of Parliament Peter Bunting and Councillor for the Newport division Anthony Bryce.

On Monday I took note that residents of Patrick Town and Ellen Street were complaining about the deplorable road conditions over the years and that they reached to out to their political representatives and I saw at one point where persons were actually calling on me, but I am not the Member of Parliament in those communities and I want to also state categorically that both of those roads Ellen Street and Patrick Town are roads for which the Manchester Municipal Corporation holds responsibility for,” said Crawford.

“I would [like] to urge the Member of Parliament for Manchester Southern and Councillor Bryce to make representation on behalf of their people as it concerns Brokenhurst… There is a small section of Brokenhurst along the main road that falls in Manchester Central,” added Crawford.

The two-term Member of Parliament said she has seen to the repair of many roads in her constituency.

“I am only the representative for Manchester Central, and I cannot do road repairs that fall outside of my constituency. I continue to make successful and aggressive representation for road repairs in my constituency and this is why in less than six years as Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, I have seen to the repair of 50 roads,” she said.

Crawford said more roads are slated for repairs during her second term.

“Since September 3, 2025, I have seen to the full rehabilitation of three roads in Bashie in Blue Mountain, in Kirkvine, in the Royal Flat division and phase two of Barnstable,” she said.

She said the procurement for the repair of farm roads in Knockpatrick has been completed.

“Already, bushing work has started today (Wednesday) in Trowers… We are awaiting the completion of procurement for Crawford Close, so that work can begin there,” she said.

She said repairs will soon be done on the Knockpatrick main road, the Williamsfield to Cumberland main road in the Bellefield division and the Royal Flat to Old England road.

She added that community roads, including Rent land, Wilbin road and Ingleside, are on a schedule to be repaired.

“These community roads are all parish council roads that I have had to take on because the Mayor (Donovan Mitchell) and councillors across the constituency have not been making adequate representation on behalf of the people they represent,” said Crawford.

—Kasey Williams