The Editor, Sir:

I would like to believe that more could be gained from the debate on the cost to use Portmore Toll Road, if one should take an approach that seeks to examine the effect of the toll road on the various stakeholders. Given that the National Housing Trust is a major stakeholder and possibly the largest owner of residential property in the municipality of Portmore, it has clear and undeniable interests to protect. It is known, that while the toll road will bring some benefit to residential users, the commercial interests form the group that benefits the most from the coming into being of the toll road, in terms of accumulated savings.

Equally, it is known that the increased access that the toll road has created in conjunction with the absence of a current Development Order, can lead to the accelerated depreciation of residential property on one hand and the appreciation of commercial property on the other hand. This process could also result in a significant increase in the change of use of existing property, i.e. the transfer of real property from the housing market to the commercial market. This process would not be in keeping with the stated objectives of the National Housing Trust, and requires timely study by its Research Department and measures to contain or minimise the impact of these negative changes.

Secondly, the argument is being made that the Government of Jamaica is subsidising the residents of Portmore who use the toll road. This argument is not only essentially false but comes as a result of an inadequately conducted cost-benefit analysis and shadow costing. Portmore already has a very high per capita distribution of motor vehicle owners as compared with other communities, while suffering from a lack of adequate green areas, coupled with low rainfall which means that carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and micro particles remain suspended in the air over the municipality for a longer period of time.

The new toll road has further compounded the problem of airborne pollution by increasing the traffic flow through the municipality. Equally, the cost of one tree in Portmore is far higher than the cost of a similar tree in Mona, Havendale, Rio Bueno, Browns Town, Black River or Junction. The construction of the toll road removed hundreds of trees from the municipality and destroyed the natural habitat of countless species of wildlife. These and other environmental costs are borne by the residents of Portmore.

I am, etc.,

BASIL FLETCHER

donovanfletcherhotmail

Portmore Community College,

Greater Portmore,

St. Catherine

Via Go-Jamaica