‘Donkey track better than the main road’ – protestor Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

Several communities in James Hill, which is in the northern belt of Clarendon, erupted in protest Monday over what residents described as poor road infrastructure, with residents using trees to block the main road – a major transit point to the resort parish of St Ann.

Face-to-face classes were suspended at James Hill Primary School and attendance at the Claude McKay High School was affected.

The main road in James Hill, which leads to Cave Valley and Trout Hall, had been blocked. The main road in Carty’s Hill was also blocked. Areas affected were James Hill, Park Hall, Bog Hole, and Trout Hall. Major centres such as Frankfield and Spalding were cut off. The blockades also prevented people from travelling between Manchester and St Ann via Cave Valley in the garden parish.

A section of the road in James Hill is blocked by a downed tree as residents protested on Monday.

Principal of James Hill Primary, Tracy-Ann Mahoney, said she decided to suspend face-to-face classes when she learnt of the roadblock.

“I was made aware of the roadblock after I left to go to school. On my way there I was told that I could not pass,” she said.

She added that no teacher nor the vice principal was able to make it to the school compound. She said that it was at that point she contacted her parents and informed them that classes would be conducted online.

The James Hill area falls within the constituencies of Clarendon Northern and North Western and residents said Monday that they have not seen their Members of Parliament Dwight Sibbles (Clarendon Northern) and Phillip Henriques (Clarendon North Western).

Monday’s protest was the third one in as many weeks that Henriques has had to deal with. Protestors are claiming that representation for improved infrastructure gets little or no response. They are complaining that drains have not been maintained and roads have not been bushed and have fallen into disrepair.

Protestors from the Clarendon Northern side of James Hills claim that when residents become tense, they would see marl dropped at the side of the road, giving an appearance that work would begin soon.

However, they claim that after a period of time passes and tempers cool, all is forgotten and the rains wash away the marl without the road ever being repaired.

“The road tan bad! Donkey track better than the main road and we nah settle fi no marl, we need the MP fi pull up him socks and behave strong like when him did a look vote. Him missing without a trace,” a resident named Jahnine said.

Loop News can confirm that the roads have been cleared.

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