By Sue-Ann Wayow
WORKS and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan is being called upon to fix Santa Cecelia Trace in San Francique immediately.
The road that has suffered a landslip is used by thousands daily.
Member of Parliament for Oropouche West Davendranath Tancoo and Avocat/San Francique North councillor Doodnath Mayrhoo met with residents on Tuesday at the location.
If residents do not get relief from the damaged roads soon, Sinanan will have to deal with protest action Tancoo warned as he said residents were utterly frustrated with the road’s condition.
Tancoo said, “The only thing that would make sense is to take the protest to the minister to inconvenience him to wake him up so he does his job.”
When he visited Santa Cecelia Trace in May, Sinanan said work to repair the road and others in the area would begin soon and that proper procedures would follow.
Tancoo said Santa Cecelia Trace was perhaps “the worst part of the roads of our network.”
“We have nowhere to pass. Vehicles have been stranded, embanked. People have had to come and push off vehicles when they were stuck on the roadway. It is absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
He said there was one house specifically that has suffered structural damage due to the landslip which the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government and the Siparia Regional Corporation was aware of.
The MP also claimed that there was an attempt to classify that house as a ruinous structure so that the owners would not be compensated for damages incurred.
Both Tancoo and Mayhroo said the area where the landslip occurred falls under the purview of the Works and Transport Ministry and not the Siparia Regional Corporation.
The damaged road has caused difficulties with accessing public transport and businesses, Tancoo said.
“How are they going to compensate people who now have to travel, walk half a mile this way or that way to get a taxi?” he asked.
And Mayhroo had an additional concern that if anyone needed urgent medical help, they would not be assisted in a timely manner.
