By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE highway from Chaguanas to Chase Village is to be expanded to a six-lane highway.
This was one of the promises from the People’s National Movement (PNM) political platform made by Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan.
He was speaking during a PNM meeting in Chaguanas on Saturday.
Traffic has always been one of the problems for the Central area and government was working to ease the traffic burden via short term, medium term and long term approaches, Sinanan said.
He said, “We will be widening the highway from four lanes to six lanes and that you should see starting shortly from Chaguanas to Chase Village and that will move the traffic fast on the highway giving you that access in and out of the Chaguanas area.”
Designs were also being done for two interchanges to ease the traffic caused by the major shopping complexes built alongside the highway in Central.
Sinanan, a deputy political leader of the PNM said most of the road problems fell under local government hence the reason, the need for local government reform.
Referring to a road complaint programme he had initially launched upon becoming minister, he said it was scrapped after two weeks because most of the complaints were about the roads which corporations were responsible for.
Sinanan said, “Once we send those requests to the regional corporations there was one answer, “We don’t have resources, we don’t have the ability.” And up to today seven years after that is the same complaint.”
“Unless you don’t get these regional corporations and the boroughs working for you, some of the problems, most of the problems that we complain about the local problems will not be solved and that is why the government is simply saying, it is time for local government reform.”
Also speaking at the meeting was Minister in the Ministry of Works and Transport Richie Sookhai.
He encouraged incoming local government councillors to ensure they meet the needs of the burgesses from day one on the job after August 14.
He said, “Candidates, I charge you all, when you receive the winning votes on August 14, August 15, is time to serve the people and no longer will you be temporary councillors, you will be permanent on the job so that’s 24/7, you will be supporting the public, supporting the areas and bringing service to your people and that is what it is about.”
Agreed that we need the reform.