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San Francique residents, their MP Davedranath Tancoo and councillor Doodnath Mayrhoo set up a press conference in the street near a landslip to highlight the deplorable condition of roads in the area on Tuesday. Photo by Marvin Hamilton
OROPOUCHE West MP Davendranath Tancoo and Avocat/San Francique North councillor Doodnath Mayrhoo called on Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to ensure that a longstanding landslip at Santa Cecelia Trace in San Francique is fixed.
They warned Sinanan that if no relief came to residents affected by the landslip, there could be protest action on his doorstep.
Addressing the media at the site of the landslip, with some of the residents around him, Tancoo said, “This government continues to mamaguy the people of South Trinidad.”
He opined that Santa Cecelia Trace was perhaps “the worst part of the roads of our network, we already have a bad network throughout Trinidad and Tobago.”
Tancoo compared the state of the road to the sea conditions at the Dragon and Serpent’s Mouths at the northern and southern ends of the Gulf of Paria respectively.
“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.”
Tancoo recalled that since Sinanan visited the area in May, nothing had happened to date.
Tancoo also showed copies of letters between the Rural Development and Local Government Ministry and the Siparia Regional Corporation about one house along Santa Cecelia Trace which had suffered structural damage because of the landslip.
He claimed there was an attempt to classify that house as a ruinous structure so the Works and Transport Ministry would not have to compensate its owners for damages caused by the landslip.
San Francique residents walk through a damaged portion of Pluck Road on Tuesday. Photo by Marvin Hamilton
According to Section 176 of the Muncipal Corporations Act, an engineer assigned to a local government corporation can classify a structure which is unfit for use or occupation. Such structures are defined as ruinous. Directives can subsequently be given to the owners of such structures to demolish, secure, repair or rebuild part or all of that structure.
Tancoo and Mayhroo said the road where the landslip had occurred falls under the purview of the Works and Transport Ministry and not the Siparia Regional Corporation.
Tancoo wondered how Government could want homeowners whose properties have been damaged by the landslips to pay property tax.
“What tax are you going to come and charge them?”
Tancoo lamented the difficulties faced by residents to get access to any kind of public transport because of the deterioriating condition of the road.
“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?”
Tancoo also expressed concern about businesses in the area which have lost customers because of the poor condition of the road.
“These are professionals, business people and home owners who have been victimised because of the Government’s insincerity. They are abandoned.”
Tancoo was convinced that reasonable efforts by the residents to appeal to Sinanan for help were either exhausted or very close to that stage.
“It is clear that the minister is not taking on the normal protest, the appeals and begging of the community.”
The deteriorating condition of the road rules out options such as blocking it or burning tyres on it, as forms of protest
Tancoo said, “The only thing that would make sense is to take the protest to the minister to incovenience him to wake him up so he does his job.”
Mayhroo agreed.
Discussions will be held with the residents to determine whether they should protest outside of Sinanan’s home or his office in Port of Spain.
“Mayhroo said there were 50 residents “who are marooned in their homes because they cannot get out with their vehicles.”
He was concerned that if any of the residents along the trace required urgent medical attention, help would not reach them in time.
When contacted, Sinanan was unfazed by Tancoo and Mayhroo’s threats of future protests.
“At the end of the day, Mr Tancoo and Mr Mayhroo are politicians. They are doing what they have to do.” Sinanan said there are processes and procedures which guide the works that his ministry undertakes. “We are doing what we have to do.”
Sinanan said the PNM will not repeat a situation which happened under the former UNC-led People’s Partnership coalition government where proper procedures were not followed and there were issues with contractors not being paid.
He identified Pluck Road as one of a few roads in the San Francique area which the ministry has responsibility for and for which there is a work programme. The ministry is not responsible for the maintenance of traces. Sinanan said those types of roads are managed by local government corporations.
When he visited Santa Cecelia Trace in May, Sinanan said work to repair the road and others in the area would begin soon.
Sinanan acknowledged residents’ plight. But he said fixing deteriorating roads was not a simple process.
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