For the rest of the week, if you do not live along the North Coast Road from Maracas to Blanchisseuse, don’t attempt to travel to the area.
The roadway remained blocked to vehicles as excavators and other heavy machinery cleared a mountain of rubble. Residents are being allowed to exit in the morning and return in the afternoon.
While turning away tourists from heading to the idyllic Maracas Bay, residents and politicians for a speedy resolution to clear a landslip that has significantly hampered travel to the area for the past two weeks.
Speaking with the media at the site of the landslip yesterday, one resident who had to walk past the Ministry of Works heavy machinery to get to his Las Cuevas home, said visitors were making it difficult for residents.
Lloyd Sayers said the increase in traffic delayed the work being done by the ministry.
He said some of the businesses in the area, such as bake and shark vendors were willing to “hold some strain” but the increase in traffic is delaying the work making it even more difficult for residents of the area.
“They not helping with the congestion problem here, these visitors not helping. They should stay away at least until this is done. Basically, we want the people who not from Maracas, who just come to bathe, give us a little while. Just a two days,” Sayers said.
His comments were echoed by both councillor for the area Lyndon Lara and acting Works and Transport Minister Kazim Hosein.
Lara, in a telephone interview, said businesses are willing to “hold strain”. He said that while some businesses are being negatively impacted, the residents who are using one lane to and from home daily are being severely affected by the increased traffic flow from visitors.
He commended the work being done by the Ministry and the pace at which it was being done. He said police were turning away visitors on the weekend but motorists continue to take the scenic trip to see for themselves the area of damage.
Hosein, who visited the area yesterday said a geologist, Dr Deryck Gay, is expected to visit the area this week and advise how best to permanently treat with the land-slippage.
“Our priority right now, firstly, is to make it passable for the residents of the area, not the general public. They need to go home. There was a death in here yesterday (Monday) and people had to walk to go through the rocks and go in for the wake,” he said.
The T&T Guardian contacted Maracas Bay Hotel yesterday and was told while the number of guests has dwindled, the staff have not been affected as yet.
Two maxi drivers working the North Coast Road route said they have not increased their fares which range from $12 to Maracas and $20 to Blanchisseuse.
They added that their main concern was the re-opening of the road in time for school on Monday.
The drivers said some maxis operate a relay system, dropping passengers closest the point of the landslip where passengers walk to the other side and board another maxi to take them home.
