Senior Reporter
sascha.wilson@guardian.co.tt
Now that the rainy season has started, residents of Oli Mohammed Trace in Barrackpore, fearful of flooding, are pleading with the authorities to resume construction on a bridge in their community.
“We are like outcasts in the back here. Like we have no value and that is not right,” said Sharmila Hamilton.
After protesting for a new bridge a few years ago, the Rural Development Company awarded a contract in 2021 and work started but was stopped in February 2022.
In the interim, a dirt road and a temporary bridge were built for the residents. However, the temporary structure is dilapidated and sometimes ambulances, utility vehicles and garbage trucks cannot pass.
Residents said a light pole got uprooted on Friday and it took T&TEC about six hours to repair it because the vehicle could not pass over the bridge.
Hamilton said there are several elderly and sickly people in the community.
“It has old people living here my mother and brother for instance. My brother, he cannot walk. My mother is a heart patient. Every two, three weeks ambulance have to come to take she to the hospital. It is difficult for them to come in here. Sometimes we have to tote them or put them in the car and bring them out to the ambulance,” she said.
Parbattee Rampersad, 71, said she is afraid to walk on the bridge, but she has no other choice. The partially blind woman said: “I recently had surgery on my foot and with this one eye, it is very bad for me. I cannot see the bridge probably so I does be in chaos. I does pray to God to take me over and bring me back safe.”
Residents complained that they spend as much as $60 on taxi fares.
Shamin Sinanan complained: “Rain about to come. Here is a flooded area, the bridge going to cover. How people going to pass?
“Cast it and let we pass. We need to pass. If they don’t do nothing, we going to take up this plant ( from the temporary structure) and put it there (new structure). If nobody not doing nothing. We going to do something.”
Sinanan said the resident who owns the land on which the temporary road and bridge are located wants to reclaim the land to build a house. Sinanan complained that neither MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar nor Councillor Kheymwettie Chulan has tried to assist them.
“Kamla. Who is the MP? Kamla for we area. Sorry to say they could fix other places but for they own people they can’t fix. Don’t talk about the councillor, every month they coming, nothing doing,” she said.
Contacted for comment, Councillor Chulan said since the work stopped in 2022 she has been raising this matter in council meetings.
“I have always assisted with the repairs to the wooden bridge. Just recently when residents contacted me and said the garbage truck couldn’t pass the Corporation did some work on the wooden bridge, so I don’t know how they can say that I have not assisted them,” she said.
Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi promised to look into the matter.
