Bad roads hurts Troja

Residents of Facey, a district just outside Troja in the hills of North East St Catherine, are convinced that the roads leading to their community are among the worst in Jamaica. They are laced with countless potholes, many of which transform into swimming pools whenever it rains.

So bad is the roadway that the 12-mile trip from Facey, via Troja to Bog Walk, takes up to one hour. On Monday, a number of taxi operators who ply the route withdrew their services in protest over the bad road conditions.

"This is a total disgrace as the roads cause backache to the driver and passengers alike. This (the protest) cause many of our passengers to walk for miles, but it is necessary to send a message that we need road," Alrick Smith said.

Taxi operator Sheldon Anderson said the poor road conditions have led to high maintenance costs for their vehicles.

"Every week me have to buy new parts. Whenever you reach home you are so tired that you often sleep where you sit. Trust me, it is wicked," Anderson said.

Residents believe that the time for fixing the road is overdue, and they don't think that they are getting enough attention from the elected representatives.

"I was born in this community, and for the 26 years of my life, the road never fix. I believe that the authorities don't respect we," Cassandra Beckles said.

Her views were echoed by other persons, who said that the bad road conditions affect the businesses in the North East St Catherine community.

Meanwhile, Kerensia Morrison, the member of parliament for the area, said she is aware of the poor conditions of the roads.

"I have made representation to the minister, the National Works Agency, the municipal corporation and the problem is well known. I empathise with drivers and users of the road, but representation is being made and we have to be patient until the resources to fix the road are made available," she said.