Four months have passed since I last wrote about the scrap metal dealers on the Beetham Highway and nothing has been done to address the situation. On the contrary, the scrap metal dealers appear to have extended their operations whereby they are now scrapping derelict vehicles and are further encroaching nearer to the shoulder of the highway. The dealership operation has moved from being a national eyesore to a multi-million dollar business. It is now purchasing scrap metal from anyone who can supply regardless of its source. The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) was recently able to recover some stolen metal valves which were sold to another dealer.
Why is it that in T&T we wait for situations to become so entrenched before affirmative action is taken? There have been so many cases where action was finally taken and these boldface culprits ask the Government for compensation or alternative land. Why wait for the storm before we purchase the umbrella? I suggest that we deal with these situations in a proactive manner when they are in the embryo stage instead of allowing them to mature into full-grown entities. Then it will take costly legal action to correct them. A similar situation had existed in Guyana and the Government there took assertive and proactive action by making it illegal to export scrap metal and in so doing the entire scrap iron dealership was effectively closed down.
General questions can be asked about the value of these operations, such as if any revenue is being paid by means of taxation to the Government? Are these operations causing any health hazards to the Beetham population? Are they in any way acting contrary to our Highway Act, 48:01 Chapter 46? What is the regional corporation doing to deal with these people in a timely manner? What are the police doing about people conducting a business so close to the highway? Who is buying these metals and where are they going? These questions must be addressed quickly before the Beetham business grows into a situation where the Minister of Works has to step in before someone gets killed as a result to an explosion caused by the cutting torches used by scrap metal merchants. Again I ask Minister Jack Warner to step in immediately and deal with this problem before it reaches an embarrassing situation for the administration. The scrap metal dealers are clearly in breach of the Highway Act and they must be dealt with instantly.
John Alexander
Via e-mail