THE EDITOR, Sir:THIS AN open letter to Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Sports; Mr. Delroy Chuck, Member of Parliament, St. Andrew North Eastern; and His Worship, the Mayor, Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, Councillor Desmond McKenzie.
Dear Government Officials:
We have been residing at Edam Drive, which is an extension of Hymille Road, off Russell Heights, in the constituency represented by Mr. Delroy Chuck, for more than 25 years.
In these 25 years, significant repairs to the road surface were done only once, some 20 years ago. The roadway is a natural course for storm and rainwater that flow down Russell Heights, eroding the road surface, added to which is the undermining of the roadbed that has occurred due to the frequent bursting of National Water Commission mains.
The cumulative effect of the above-described conditions is that Edam Drive is characterised by deep craters stretching across the road from side to side, deep water-created channels and furrows running along the road surface, and the complete undermining of the integrity of the roadbed and surface.
Over the years, the citizens of Jamaica who happen to live on, as well as those who have had to drive on Edam Drive, have suffered greatly in the pocket for repairs to vehicles, and we continue to do so even with the Hon. Minister of Finance adding insult to injury by increasing the general consumption tax (GCT) to 16.5 per cent, along with various motor vehicle-related duties, licences and taxes we have to bear.
The citizens of Edam Drive have been remarkably restrained in our many requests over the years for Edam Drive to be repaired. We have pursued this through our Member of Parliament, Mr. Delroy Chuck, whom we have seen only once in our community, but whom we have observed quite frequently in Grants Pen and Ford Pen (maybe we are not deserving of his representation). We have never seen the councillor for the area. We have also made requests for repairing the road surface to the National Works Agency, who responded that they have no responsibility for Edam Drive, and also to the KSAC who told us that they have seen no written request from us, even though the deteriorating condition of Edam Drive has existed for 20 years.
We are taking this final opportunity to appeal to the authorities, to assist us by repairing our road before we are forced by government neglect to become substantial lawbreakers.
We are, etc.,
THE FED-UP,
FRUSTRATED AND
FURIOUS RESIDENTS
OF EDAM DRIVE
