Praises for Pickersgill
published: Monday | April 26, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I APPLAUD Robert Pickersgill's declaration that 'the road to development is the development of roads'. As part-time Jamaican residents at Treasure Beach since 1972, my wife and I have experienced first-hand the difficulty of luring people to our guest house over a wretched 70-mile drive from Sangster International Airport. There have been significant improvements during the last year, especially in the passage from Reading to Ferris Cross, but meantime the road east to Black River is deteriorating.

We visited Puerto Rico a few years ago, and were struck by the excellent highway and even superhighway network that clearly was contributing to economic development that leaves Jamaica in the dust. We hope the minister's observation ­ that 'one of the main differences between a developed country and an under-developed one is the network of roads' ­ will be followed by a major injection of funding.

This is truly an opportunity to bring a metaphor to life, and pave the way to a better future.

I am etc.

DON NOEL

DonONoel@cs.com

Treasure Beach

Calabash Bay PA

St. Elizabeth (to May 1)

Via Go-Jamaica