Pothole paradise - State of nation’s roads leaves drivers squealing and reeling

Egerton Newman, president of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Service (TODSS), is sounding the alarm about the crippling impact poor roads are having on the public transport sector.

"We are squealing, we are reeling," Newman told THE STAR as he lamented the poor state of the nation's roads.

According to Newman, the public transport sector is haemorrhaging money as vehicles break down constantly as a result of bad roads. He said that his group and other players have been working overtime to keep restive members from protesting to register their disgust about the financial toll of the bad roads on their operations.

Newman said that in addition to the cost of repairing and replacing tyres, operators are forced to dig deep to repair the front-end on their vehicles. He said that in some instances, these costs are as high as $300,000 per vehicle.

As the situation worsens, public transport operators are losing patience. "I believe the push is coming to shove now, and we might have to take action to have some of these roads fixed, because we can't fix," Newman warned.

It's not just the public transport operators feeling the heat, but some persons have argued that government's failure to address road conditions is not the sole reason for damage to motor vehicles.

"No, it's not necessarily the potholes or bad roads. It can be wear and tear," Michael, a Kingston driver, said.

"Most people blame potholes, but sometimes it's not potholes, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, you can drop in a pothole and the whole left side lick out - bust the shocks and bend the control arm - but most people blame the road and don't blame their driving either," he added.

One mechanic on Molynes Road, Blakey, who has been in the business for over 50 years, explained that tyre and suspension repairs are a constant source of income.

"Mi born and grow here, and people always a complain 'bout bad roads. Them stop complain 'bout prices and start complain say the government fi fix the road 'cause them tyres always a burst," Blakey said.

Meanwhile, the Government has announced at least two major road rehabilitation programmes aimed at tackling the pothole problem on the island. The main projects are the Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network (SPARK) Project, which is a $45-billion road and waterline initiative. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said that $20 billion will focus on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of local, parochial, and community roads.

"The SPARK project is not just about upgrading roads; it's about transforming the lives of people. Better roads mean better travel, reduced transportation costs and improved access to jobs, education and health," Holness said.

The Government has also announced a $3-billion REACH Road programme, designed to address critical road rehabilitation programme, which has specific focus on damage caused by recent weather events.