JOSHUA SEEMUNGAL
The country’s roads are set for a major upgrade via a National Rehabilitation Programme, one week after the publication of the Guardian Media series “Pothole Paradise”.
In good news for motorists, the new Ministry of Works and Transport programme will aim to improve the majority of roads, bringing them to a fair-to-good condition.
The ministry estimates that at present, approximately 50% of roads are in a fair-to-poor condition.
According to ministry sources, faced with challenges of limited funding, the programme will pool together resources from the Works and Transport Ministry, its PURE unit, and the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government.
Sources added that the ministry’s asphalt plant is functioning again and will provide material for the exercise.
The Works Ministry recently conducted a road condition survey, and the survey’s results will guide the National Rehabilitation Programme.
It will be officially launched next week and will continue for several months.
It is expected that more information about the plan will be provided by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan at the upcoming launch.
Attempts to contact him for comment on Thursday were unsuccessful.