THE MINISTRY of Transport and Works has warned that it will be getting tough on contractors who fail to honour their obligations under its Routine Maintenance Programme.
The announcement comes days after cheques issued to workers by two contractors in Portland and St. Mary were dishonoured by the banks. And last month, residents of St. Mary mounted roadblocks after not receiving payment for work done on the roads.
Letters warning of termination of contract have already been issued to those persons who have not observed the requirements of their contract, the Ministry said yesterday.
Direct warnings have already been issued to three contractors in Portland, St. Mary and St. Ann. They are H&J Heavy Equipment and Construction Company which was awarded three contracts, one in each parish; Beecher Construction Company which was awarded a contract in St. Mary; and Trafalgar Construction Ltd, which was awarded a contract in Portland.
A contract issued to Danem Engineers Ltd in St. Elizabeth was terminated by mutual agreement after discussions between the contractor and Ministry officials. This was preceded by the termination of contracts in St. Catherine, Manchester and Westmoreland for sub-standard work on the part of the contractors, the Ministry said.
According to the Ministry, contractors have seven days from November 1 to comply with the conditions of their contracts failing which legal action may be taken against them for the recovery of any additional costs that may be incurred to employ other contractors to complete the routine maintenance package.
Twenty-three contracts were issued in the pilot phase of the Routine Maintenance Programme which covered work in five parishes. Another 32 contracts were awarded in phase two of the programme which extends islandwide to cover 4,600 kilometres of main road.
Under the programme, maintenance work in the form of bushing, clearing of drains and culverts and patching of potholes is carried out on an ongoing basis. The Ministry said the programme will be a permanent one in an effort to prevent the island's main roads from falling into disrepair.
