Tuesday, February 26 2008

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DEEP HOLE: Taxi driver Ameed Ghany's right hand is buried in a pothole along Lady Young Avenue in Morvant where he and other drivers protested road co...

DOZENS of persons were left stranded after over 60 taxi drivers staged a noisy protest along Lady Young Avenue, demanding repairs to the roads in the area which are covered with potholes.

The taxi drivers said that “enough is enough” as they pointed to the damaged roads.

They blocked a section along Lady Young Avenue with branches and old chairs as they called on the Works and Transport Ministry to ensure the roads are repaired and repaved.

The drivers said they have incurred huge car repair bills in plying their vehicles in the area. President of the Morvant Taxi Drivers’ Association Ronald Ramsey said drivers were tired of the “mamaguy” from WASA and the Works and Transport Ministry.

Ramsey said that for years residents and motorists have been hearing about extensive plans to restore the roads in the area, however with no action, the roads continually deteriorate due to numerous burst pipelines along the major routes.

Residents along the Avenue told Newsday that WASA pipelines rupture on a daily basis and waste gallons of water continuously and this was what caused most of the sinkholes on the streets.

Laventille East/Morvant MP Donna Cox said the drivers who staged the protests were “PH” drivers who seemed to have “other motives” because they went to her constituency officeand verbally abused her staff. Cox said she has spoken to WASA CEO Errol Grimes and Works Minister Colm Imbert and, “we are on top of it”.