angelo.jedidiah@guardian.co.tt
Although St Ann’s East MP Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly deems part of the collapsing North Coast Road as “passable,” Las Cuevas residents’ fears continue to grow as the road worsens.
Yesterday, Las Cuevas residents staged a protest over the worsening road conditions, evidenced by further swallowing of barrels that were placed along the affected area to caution motorists.
In late November last year, mechanic Fabian Rennie was driving home from work when his car fell into a depression along the collapsed road, located near Zorro Road, Las Cuevas.
In an interview with Guardian Media yesterday, Rennie said at that moment, he thought he was going to die. But this near-death experience is why Rennie and other Las Cuevas residents are confused that some seven weeks after the road collapsed, it is yet to be repaired.
“We made numerous calls and all we get is a set of run-around…we ain’t burn no rubbish, we ain’t burn no boat, we ain’t burn nothing. All we would like is the road to be fixed,” Blanchisseuse Secondary School PTA prescient Anthony Crichlow said.
While beachgoers, community business owners and taxi drivers continue to be affected, the negative impact of the collapsing road has also hindered students from attending neighbouring schools.
“Our kids have no school. They had tests and they was unable to do their tests. Schools opened back and they’re still unable to do their tests. I mean to say, what is the sense sending your children to school, and then you’re not sure for them to reach back home safe?” mother of seven Vennessa Clement asked.
According to school officials, the school maxi taxi driver for the Las Cuevas Government Primary School is refusing to drive along the collapsing road, causing approximately 80 pupils to miss classes.
Another official claimed that since the start of the new school term on Tuesday, 50 per cent of teachers at the Blanchisseuse Secondary School had also stayed away. This comes after teachers claimed to have followed the advice of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association in taking extraordinary leave due to unsafe circumstances.
“The children totally upset…all we hearing is that they (Government officials) are around the table. Which table they around? They have to build a table to sit around? I can help them build a table because this is important,” Crichlow said.
Residents said material to repair the collapsed roadway had been placed at the affected site for more than a month, but it remains unsecured and untouched by the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Contacted on the issue yesterday, Gadsby-Dolly, who is also the Education Minister, told Guardian Media that the road remains “passable” and works will begin later this week.