St Thomas community longs for better roadway

As the news team travelled about two minutes into Epping Farm, St Thomas, last week, we realised that even with a four-wheel drive vehicle, it would be impossible to manoeuvre the bad roads and had to settle for a parking spot below Raphael Brown's house.

Brown shook his head and pointed to a Land Rover as the one vehicle that is sturdy enough to take on the extremely rocky journey into the farming district.

"Mi a 53 and from mi born a suh di road greet mi. Right now it look good compare to when it rain because when rain fall nobody can't walk. Hurricane season start now so mi know it ago ruff because the road just a get worse and worse. From Johnny was a boy di place stay so, mi never ever see asphalt on dis road. Is only a Land Rover strong enough for this because other vehicle will skin cat over " he said.

Parish-wide appeal

He said he has joined the parish-wide appeal to the Government for better roads in their area. The farmer said the deplorable condition of the thoroughfare he uses to carry his products to the market has cost him greatly over the last few years.

"If we charter a taxi from Mavis Bank to come here, you have to pay at least $6,000 and is just about a five-mile distance. Mi plant coffee too but the vehicle dem can't come up here to collect so we have to find them. No one is suppose to live like this because if yuh walk, there is a chance that yuh may break yuh foot," he said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by 64-year-old Eileen Hardy who said she is convinced that the Government has forgotten about her community. She said she remains baffled by the condition of the road especially since the Epping Farm road is the main route to several guest houses in the Blue Mountains.

"Even riverbeds are in a more smoother condition than dis. It in a deplorable condition to the point where taxi nah come this side. If yuh don't have a four-wheel drive you cannot pass a point in the area. When the rain fall, it's best to stay in the house. When di tourist dem a come, they have to stop at the police station and the guest house will have to send down a Land Rover for them. Di only good thing is that dem don't mind the rocky ride," she said.

THE STAR reached out to Member of Parliament James Robertson for a comment but calls to his cellular phone went unanswered.