Senior Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Transport, Physical Development and Urban Renewal Stephenson King has revealed that road conditions represent one of the most significant issues facing the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government.
“Today, for this government, one of the biggest issues, like many other governments would face, is the issue of our road conditions,” he observed.
“We see it exacerbating every year as the rain comes down and its only as a result of poor planning and maintenance of our road network over the years that the infrastructure is fatigued and once the rain comes then it begins to unravel and we see the potholes,” King explained.
“But we are doing all in our power to try and stay on top of this,” the former Prime Minister told an SLP Town Hall meeting on Tuesday night.
King expressed confidence that as of next year, based on a promise from Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, there would be some significant investment in the country’s road network.
The Castries North MP noted that those ‘on the opposite side’ would often criticise the government for failing to continue important projects.
“What this government has done is to continue important significant projects and review questionable projects that we believe we could have done better,” the Minister told the audience.
You all have so many problems. Now you all open up the Caribbean visa free to Africans. And u know what they doing in Mia Motley Barbados? Nigerian women taking advantage of visa free to give birth in Barbados. Soon they will be all over the Caribbean doing the same. Can you imagine? Those African sellouts always talk and chat their business. So they on social media boasting about it. Your govt policies are stupid, locally, internationally, regionally
The government has many issues and yes, the roads are one of them, seeing the amount of taxes Lucians pay and yet little to nothing is being done is a bit ridiculous. Hospital is another issue with over 200 million pumped into it already and yet it’s not even 40% done is beyond mind boggling and we have now 75 million dollar loan on our hands, Saint Lucians better be ready and braced to get even more shit forced down their throats in order to pay our debts. Too much corruption for such a small country, we are third world because of us, the people but mainly those in power. We could’ve been a lot further as a nation but here we are with shit infrastructure and dwindling Human Resources.
Unless there is paradigm shift, we are doomed to our present “road” conditions. We should be focused on quality. Scrap the thought of employing inferior contractors, just because “a man has to eat a bread.” This is wasteful to the taxpayers. The citizens can’t afford employment of inefficient party hacks to build roads, because time and again they build crap.
We should be focused on quality…roads that will last a long time. Hence, the savings can be utilized towards new roads. WASCO is the other culprit. No sooner a road is laid down, we see them digging it up. If they feel generous, they lay gravel in the hole. That gravel, immediately starts grinding the surrounding asphalt. This begins new holes. There has to be coordination to prevent these moronic incidents.
I don’t think King is the guy who can fix the problems. He has been in the position a long time and he is part of the problem. His relationships are not going to be broken because he is not forceful enough to direct change. I expect to see the same thin-crust roads that are punctuated by holes. A kind of lunar landscape.
not only this to but you have failed to say that wasco is also to blame cause they just cutting the roads left right and center to fix pipe and it stays like this for months. Also
Poor drainage. Lack of constant maintainence. The roads have become hazardous to driving. Very very dangerous.
I hate when people make those excuses, “crime is everywhere or like many other government would face”. Stop it, the issue is local, deal with it. There is crime in the US but the detection and conviction rate is very high so in general people receive justice and are not left with a sense of justice. Also King complaining about poor planning and management for the past years, please tell me who has been the minister of infrastructure for the last 10 years ?
*are left with a sense of injustice
*are left with a sense of justice. This auto correct have me today.
De man King talking using engineering terms ” infrastructure is fatigued….” lmao! This man’s statement on challenges with maintaining roads says alot– afterall, he has been the Minister with responsibility for these same roads across many administrations yellow and red.
Solution is simple. Put down 4 inches of asphalt. 2 inches is not enough.
King you the biggest failer in the history of the great country very very lazy man you just have a way with words nothing more so st.lucians have to wait till next year again…under uwp you bame guy under slp you blame the rain and co Williams you stop the gros islet highway said it would take 52 days for a report its 2 years now where the report why you stop the works you trick sir john you trick allen my god nowyou tricking pjp
Mr. King you knew that all along, so tell the PM he has to eat, sleep and shit roads now.
St. Lucia is the highest taxed country in the OECS yet our infrastructure is the worst. This is the cost of corruption. Governments and their hacks steal and the population is left bearing the burden.
If by now we eh see where the problem lies, then Awah weeeee. Have we suddenly become a tropical country? We hv always had rain, like every year from the beginning of time. To me this is what the Min of Infrastructure is saying says alot. Also did he say Poor planning and maintenance. Didn’t he bring in a Flambeau hack and now a Labour hack to run the Maintenance of our roads. Hasn’t he been at the helm of Planning for the last 5+ years. So tell me …
“King expressed confidence that as of next year, based on a promise from Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, there would be some significant investment in the country’s road network”. So King is telling us that we have to endure these swimming pools in our highways till next year. Mama mee lee
The only “significant” project that has been worked on, it seems like forever, is the Millennium Highway. What about the Gros Islet Highway??? Work stopped TWO YEARS AGO! Right after the elections, because SLP couldn’t possibly use the same company that UWP hired. Petty politics, and the public has to suffer. This road is extremely dangerous, and NEEDS TO BE FINISHED!!!
“Today, for this government, one of the biggest issues, like many other governments would face, is the issue of our road conditions,” he observed.
Like many other government? If you are the Minister of infrastructure for the many other government, what should we expect. Our road system will always be screwed up because you are just outright LAZY
Why so many direct awards to the same contractors. Nothing has changed. Bribe a minister and no one cares about the quality after they pocket the money. Politicians becoming land millionaires whilst we continue with political tribalism.
Invest Saint Lucia sells lands to people and refuses to fix the roads thereafter. Cedar Heights View Fort is a case in point. There is no road, yes not one which is in good condition in that area. We have brought this up to the powers that be and to Invest Saint Lucia but nothing is being done. Residents of this community are often seen getting their own asphalt and loose stones to patch some of the potholes. How sad when Invest Saint Lucia is duty bound to maintain those roads. Our vehicles are constantly in need of shocks and other parts due to the refusal of that useless entity to maintain those roads. We the residents have complained to the authorities but the district rep and the government seem not to care one rats arse about us. So let’s hope someone with some clout sees my plea and causes that waste of organization to act in the interest of its local constituents and not only foreigners.