In the ongoing debate on the Gros Islet Highway, we have to be mindful that a young man with a bright future has lost his life, a group of children are now without a father and a young woman has lost her husband. I find it most distasteful that some have suggested that Matthew was a reckless driver who found his fate due to carelessness on the highway. I knew Matthew for over 16 yrs and had followed his development from high school to university into the work place. He was not such a person.
I know of others who have had accidents at the median at Halycon. Some years ago a dear friend of mine, Mrs Louvet Louisy, crashed at the same place, fortunately she did not suffer major injuries. Louvet is certainly no reckless driver, but was a victim of a poor road design. The issue we are facing is poor road design. This is the primary cause of accidents along this stretch of the highway.
There has to be a separation of policy and the implementation of policy, and while the politician has a role to play in both, the public servant also must accept responsibility. When the designs for the highway were developed, someone in the Ministry had the responsibility to vet and approve the design. The work as exists now was signed off by an engineer at the Ministry. This point has to be noted.
So the Cabinet Memo submitted by Minister Guy Joseph was a request for a variation of the original scope of works, and not a deletion of works. The project as originally conceived, and approved by the Ministry’s engineers is what we have on ground. I applaud Minster Phillip J. Pierre for being proactive in immediately instructing his technical staff to fix their blunders, Minister Guy Joseph did not respond to the deaths on the median at Mega J, nor to the other accidents at Halycon and thus may have erred in that regard.
Certainly if this is the approach by the new Minister then he brings a ray of hope, he must demand accountability and excellence and move away from this historical practice of applauding mediocrity. I also have my misgiving on the suggested cost for the extension to Choc, the cost of these works may have based on the continuation of the Lilliputian lanes up to Choc. Any expansion of an additional lane of similar size to what exists and the placement of a median from Halycon to Choc will involve expensive land and property acquisition from Sandals Halycon, the Villa Beach Cottages and Wharf restaurant. This will be an expensive exercise.