THE EDITOR, Sir:
I ONCE wondered how could any ambitious Jamaican oppose the development of Highway 2000. This grand idea is to launch us among the advanced countries of the world. It is to help the many workers, especially those in government jobs, who travel to and from Kingston, St. Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth daily, to get to work in better condition, thus enhancing production and productivity. The highway will deliver to the inhabitants of the south, a share of the benefits of beautifully-developed highways, such as those of the north and west of the island,
and therefore enhance our
marketability.
Alas, little did I know that such concepts are too lofty for the southern poor. Someone has to pay for the road and the consumers of the south will have to pay over $3 per km. to use it. The teachers, civil servants and other low wage earners will have to pay despite the Memorandum of Understanding, or confine themselves to the alternate congested streets. The Old Harbour Bypass, like the Spanish Town, May Pen, Mandeville, Santa Cruz, and Black River bypasses, were developed to ease the congestion through the towns. Sadly, the Old Harbour bypass is now a part of the toll road. It should be noted that the Causeway will follow soon and, most likely, the Melrose Bypass will follow when the stretch to Williamsfield is done. It is sad that the 'haves', many of whom do not have to use the road on a daily basis to get to and from work, are not aware of the many 'social haves' but 'economic have-nots' who often deny themselves of food in order to finance their travel to work and take care of their dependents.
CONSOLATION
I guess such working poors are expected to take consolation in knowing that they could have got to work in fine style, but their means, as well as their geographic misfortune, have caused them to be eliminated from the group of customers who can use highways to get to work. I suggest that everyone takes note of this precedent.
Will this be the fate of the highway users in other sections of the island? Will the working poor be eventually banished by virtue of means from using highways in Jamaica? If highway 2000 will be absorbing the bypasses, thus forcing those who cannot afford the cost to use it into the congested towns or onto longer routes to suffer agony to and from work, then it seems reasonable to wonder if those who had opposed the idea were aware of these things.
I am, etc.,
Neilson Anderson
May Pen, Clarendon
