By Clint Chan Tack Friday, November 6 2009

Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert yesterday announced the owner of the truck which crashed into the Bailey bridge in Macoya will have to pay $500,000 to repair it.

Imbert may find collecting this sum difficult however, as the owner of the truck, Rohan “Bobby” Maharaj died in the crash along with Kishore Kumar and Anil Mohammed. Maharaj was the driver of the truck.

The minister said the information available to him indicated the ten-wheeler truck crashed into the bridge at about 1.15 am while proceeding east along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway to collect aggregate from the National Quarries Limited. He explained that trucks usually line up there from 3 am to 4 am daily to collect aggregate.

Noting the truck collided head on with the bridge, Imbert said: “There was no doubt that he (the driver) was speeding. There is no other rational explanation for him colliding with the bridge.”

The minister reminded reporters, at the post-Cabinet press briefing, Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, that there were yellow flashing lights and proper signage in close proximity to the bridge to warn motorists to reduce their speed.

“Although we are talking about a very tragic incident. The poor driver is no longer with us but in law, the owner of the truck is liable,” Imbert said. He said the damage to the bridge is $500,000 and “we would be seeking to recover the cost (from the owner of the truck).” Expressing optimism the bridge would be re-opened by midnight yesterday, Imbert said motorists driving east will be allowed to use the Priority Bus Route from Macoya to facilitate the ongoing repairs.

Imbert said the two Bailey bridges at Macoya will be replaced by a permanent bridge that will handle four lanes of traffic going east and west along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway.

He added this bridge will be opened on December 10. It will have proper shoulder space on either side of the highway and a pedestrian walkway over the highway.

As for the collapse of a Bailey bridge in Balandra earlier this year, Imbert said the damage to that bridge was going to cost “millions of dollars” and up to Wednesday, he was speaking with the Director of Highways about it. “I am certain that the contractor is going to baulk at paying this money,” Imbert said. Imbert had no comment to make on the report into the collapse of a Bailey bridge in Caroni last year in which one person was killed. Imbert said that report is currently in the hands of Attorney General John Jeremie and information on that matter should be disclosed in about one month’s time.