Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) , Annette Ferguson yesterday met with bus operators, and residents of Coomacka, Region 10, as they were staging a picketing exercise calling for repairs to the main Coomacka road.
According to a release from MPI,the minister offered assurances to the residents that the situation would be rectified shortly. The ministry had been made aware of their plight two weeks ago, and had dispatched a team of engineers to assess the situation. The team had determined that emergency works were necessary.
The minister added that the hired contractor, Rim Construction Inc. will commence work to the tune of approximately $21.4M as soon as this weekend, and that drainage issues had impeded the execution of works. “I am particularly concerned that people are unable to leave their community. We are not turning a blind eye to your problems; these are emergency works and things will get done,” Ferguson was quoted in the release as saying. The minister also assessed infrastructural works in the nearby communities of Three Friends, Maria Elizabeth and Rockstone.
Region 10 Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figuiera stressed the dire nature of the situation, and also apologized on behalf of the Region which is responsible for the road, according to the release from the ministry.