Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert says the Government would pump $600 million in two months if that is what it took to fix the roads in the country. Imbert was responding to remarks by United National Congress (UNC) deputy political leader Dr Roodal Moonilal, who said a UNC government would conduct an audit to determine how much money was spent on fixing roads between April and May this year. "If we spend $300 million last month, we will spend $300 million next month, and we will fix every single road in T&T...So let them put that in their pipe and smoke it!" he said. Imbert was addressing supporters as the People's National Movement (PNM) campaign wagon rolled into Penal on Wednesday night.
Young PNM supporters wave their balisier during the party's political meeting in Penal on Wednesday night. Photo: Tony Howell
Imbert also announced that next month, the government would add 85 new PTSC buses to its existing fleet, making it 421 buses on the roads of T&T. "Five times what the UNC had in 2001," he said. In addition, he said, the Public Transport Service Corporation now serviced 160 routes, compared to the 34 routes under the UNC government in 2001. He also announced in August, four new water taxis would be working between Port-of-Spain and San Fernando. Boasting that "every single road in T&T was built under PNM," he vowed that his ministry would repair every road and trace throughout the country. To achieve the objective that a drive from one part of the country to another should not take more than two hours, Imbert said the Government had constructed a national network of highways.
This would comprise of the construction of six highways, expected to begin this year, he said. Imbert said the Government would select a contractor for the first project–a freeway from San Fernando to Mayaro, by the end of May. The long-awaited highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin was the second project, Imbert said. "You have heard about this highway for some years aback; well its is finally becoming a reality." He said tenders have been invited and were due on May 7. The other four highways are from Wallerfield to Manzanilla; a causeway out in the sea from the Mucurapo Foreshore to Chaguaramas; from the Caroni Bird Sanctuary along Uriah Butler Highway to Piarco and from Curepe to Princes Town.