This stretch that residents in Longwood district, St. Elizabeth, refer to as 'Lyco Road' has been transformed into a muddy pond after recent rains. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

What's not working?

To say that residents in the Longwood district of Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth, have had it up to the neck with their worsening road conditions would not come close to capturing how they really feel. They say that the roads have been neglected by the authorities for the last five years.

Synopsis of situation

Yahneake, a resident of Longwood, said that there had not been an occasion in the past five years that she has witnessed the St. Elizabeth Parish Council repairing roads in the community, particularly 'Lyco Road'.

She noted that the only relief comes when residents put their shoulders to the wheel and fill the craters in community roads with marl. But, of course, as soon as showers burst from the sky, they are back to square one.

Another Longwood resident told Tyrone's Watch during our visit, that he is certain the authorities had forgotten about the district and its roads.

Who's responsible?

The St. Elizabeth Parish Council

What's the status?

When the St. Elizabeth Parish Council was contacted, one representative said that she was not sure if they were responsible for the thoroughfare in Longwood, despite adamant claims by the residents.

The parish council employee also said that she would contact personnel in the Road and Works Department and provide our news team with an update.

Conclusion

Different parish, same issue. This best describes our most recent venture out to St. Elizabeth. The phenomenon of neglected roads in Jamaica is a cancer that worsens with every day that passes. It would appear that the relevant organisations have become immune to the pleas of residents to fix their roads, whether it be the purview of the parish councils, private bodies or the National Works Agency.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Tell us about problems in your community. We will visit and help to lobby for action. Write to: Tyrone Reid, the Gleaner Company Ltd., 7 North Street, P.O. Box 40, Kingston; Fax: 922-6223, Telephone: 922-3400 Ext. 6364 or Email: tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com.