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SUCKER GARDEN--Residents of Chin Cactus Drive are expressing frustration over its continued deplorable state and calling on Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake to honour a promise they say he made during a public meeting in the midst of the election campaign and give the matter immediate attention.
A letter signed by some 22 residents, as well as a copy of a 2012 letter issued by VROMI, tells of official complaints filed as far back as 2008 and VROMI's continued stated intentions to address the issue.
The residents' letter says that most recently, in a public meeting in Sucker Garden in August "during the election campaign, the Minister of Public Works announced that the paving of Chin Cactus Drive will begin the very next day. Public Works visited the site and mentioned that the plan (underground pipes and GEBE cables, etc.) and the contractor to execute the work were approved. To date, nothing has been done!"
The residents said beach sand thrown onto the road during the election campaign had washed away partially before Hurricane Gonzalo and was completely washed away afterwards. This leaves "large holes and rocks protruding out, causing constant damage to our vehicles. The road in front of our homes has deteriorated to the extent that we cannot drive on it."
They said they constantly had flat tires and incurred other vehicle repair cost.
The residents said repairs had been scheduled to start in 2008-2009, when main roads were paved but not inner ones that had been set to follow. Urgency was acknowledged by the Minister in 2012 and a subsequent letter stated that repairs could be carried out no earlier than 2013.
The letter issued by VROMI in 2012 stated that the Department was not privy to the 2008 and 2009 letters sent to former Infrastructure Commissioner Theo Heyliger. It acknowledged the problem in an apologetic tone and stated that the intention was to finalise design plans around October 2012 and hold a public tender to carry out the complete road and drainage works. The estimated time of "no earlier than 2013" was based on the budget situation at the time.
Minister Lake could not be reached for comment. VROMI Acting Secretary-General Louis Brown was contacted and said in an invited comment that the plans should be in the works. However, he did not have access to the documents at the time to confirm an approximate date.
