Residents of Carlsen Field said they are convinced road repair works seem to be running on fumes, while the cost to restore their damaged vehicles soar.
According to many, the creaky noises now heard from their vehicles caused by years of navigating potholes would make any vehicle owner cringe, but for them, it only serves as a painful reminder of the authority’s failure to address their concerns.
Yesterday, some residents ventilated their frustrations over the deplorable state of the area’s main and minor roads.
According to Perez Christian, “it cost me three thousand dollars recently to fix my next van, during crop time I have to go and cut grass for my animals, it cost me to fix my whole front end.”
Another motorist exclaimed, “I nearly drown in a pothole there, they need to fix this quick”, and one pig farmer in the area said “every time you drive on this road you have to buy something for your motorcar, this is a serious problem affecting us”.
Also adding to the woes commuters face while traversing the damaged thoroughfare which is a connecting road to Edinburgh 500 is a pile-up of garbage along the route.
Resident and president of the Trinidad Farmers Union Shiraz Khan said it would appear as though outsiders often use their remote community as a dumping ground.
“Most of the time these garbage here is when we get up and driving through here we see loads of garbage, we report it to the police, regional corporation and praedial larceny squad but nobody get penalised,” he said.
Khan added that recently residents came together and attempted to clean the side of the littered roadway, however, their efforts amounted to naught shortly after.
The residents have been pleading with the authorities to intervene and assist in emergency road repairs as they fear the impact it can have on their pockets when it comes to repairing vehicles. Meanwhile, Khan said if no action was taken, residents will not hesitate to intensify their efforts to highlight their plight, “we begging to get our roads fixed, we don’t want to have any confrontations we just want our roads fixed, we need a service just like any other part in country.”
When contacted Member of Parliament for the area Dr Bhoe Tewarie admitted that the roads needed repair works, however, his attempts to rally the ministry of works to intervene have been unsuccessful.
He said, “unless the corporation and the ministry were willing to put in the effort and money, residents find themselves in a position of neglect.”