Residents of the ‘E’ Field, Sophia/Cummings Park area are desperate for works to be done to the community’s roads, which they say have been in an unusable state for a decade.
Speaking with Stabroek News recently, residents said they felt like they were sold false promises by the government as they explained that it has been in office for three years and nothing has been done to resolve the issue.
“We understand that things take time but it has been three years since this government has been in power and nothing has been done. We are paying taxes just like everyone else but we’re not getting the benefits of our tax dollars,” one resident, who identified himself as Mr. Parker (only name).
The man further stated that other communities have been developed after Sophia and have better roads than their community. Other residents chimed in and stated that the previous government in 2009 tried to fix the roads but they were improperly done. Mr. Parker later expounded: “Every year we’re hearing that money is being allotted to fix the roads and it has never been done.” The man, who is a taxi driver, told Stabroek News that he cannot sleep at home some nights as he is not able to drive his vehicle into the street where his home is. “I left my car out on the main road before one night and they broke into my car.” The man stated that his vehicle got stuck in one of the large potholes recently and he has not brought the vehicle into the street since then.
The residents also stated that they made several complaints to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. One resident, who asked not to be named, said “we went into the ministry and the only thing they saying is write a letter to the Minister or write a letter to the Permanent Secretary.”
Odelle Parker, a shop owner in the community, added that as the rainy season
approaches, contractors usually visit the community with equipment and then later say they cannot complete the works due to the inclement weather. He charged that after the rainy season is over, they never come back to complete the works.
Headmistress of the Cummings Park Nursery School Cecile Whyte-Joseph told Stabroek News that she would love for the roads to be done in the community. “The road to access the school is in a deplorable state,” she said, while noting that on rainy days, the parents or drivers would have to take the children into the school as they would not be able to use the street. The woman further stated that a representative of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure visited them last week and she was informed that works on the road would commence as soon as possible.