Works Minister Jack Warner says he is still in charge of the Priority Bus Route.He said, however, he had no problem if the Government took away his responsibility for control of the facility.Warner, also the Chaguanas West MP, said this yesterday while speaking with the media after turning the sod to begin construction of the Nalis Chaguanas Public Library at Railway Road and Laing Street.Warner said under the Highways Act special roads fell under the Ministry of Works.He added: "The country has only one special road so far. Under the Highways Act that comes in under public works, under the Ministry of Works."
Warner said Transport Minister Devant Maharaj, might not have been aware of that when he (Maharaj) made statements about the use of the PBR during the state of emergency.Maharaj was quoted in another newspaper as saying the Government was not considering opening up the Priority Bus Route (PBR) to the general public's use in light of the curfew restrictions under the state of emergency which was imposed on Sunday.Maharaj was also quoted as saying that the daily use by drivers of private vehicles along the PBR within specified hours, would remain in effect, despite the state of emergency, until the expiry of the time allotted for such use.
Yesterday, Warner said: "I don't think the minister said anything deliberately. I will imagine it will be corrected in the course of time."Warner said he was trying to get curfew permits for workers to finish work on roads in Point Fortin.He said surveillance bays along the Solomon Hochoy Highway were completed and he was awaiting lights and cameras from the Ministry of National Security to get the bays operational in the shortest possible time to deal with emergencies.Warner said he had not asked for any permit for himself to move during the curfew period."I believe that I should go through the same kind of torment and torture and sacrifices as anybody else. I have no permit and I have not asked for any," he added.
Warner said people were "parroting nonsense" about the recovery of guns during the state of emergency.He said whether one gun or 1,000 guns are recovered, the people of T&T now had a chance to exhale from the self-confined jails they lived in when criminals ruled the streets.He said: "Nobody had the guts before Mrs Persad-Bissessar. No Prime Minister had the guts to declare a state of emergency. Everybody wanted it."