Light railway in 20 years

No now, after 30 years of sitting on their laurels we are rudely informed by a non-performing and careless government that we can no longer import “older” foreign cars. I recently bought a three-year-old foreign used car for $85,000 and the comparative price for a new showroom car was quoted at $200,000. A savings to me of $115,000. Out of that the $85,000 half of it is government taxes or VAT.

So, for all the advantage taken on car buyers and users (since we pay road taxes on each gallon of gas) our ministers tell us that we can no longer “save” on these cheaper cars because of inadequate roads and planning. The very thing they were put in power to achieve.

In the meanwhile, these ministers vote themselves a hefty pay increase almost every year, receive thousands of dollars in travelling allowance monthly (which can afford them to repair their cars from the heavy wear and tear from the intolerable road conditions) and get a sizable government car loan (every three years) to buy themselves $700,000 cars at tax free prices, bearing in mind that these luxury cars have a tax of over 60 percent. And to add salt to the festering wounds, these said ministers would cruise pass you with either their PBR pass or police escorts.

Then they tell us that we must pay more for cars and car pool. And before election they repave the same old roads and praise themselves.

What has happened to the plan to make a road from the Barataria roundabout to central and south Trinidad mentioned in the 1980s by then Minister of Works, Hugh Francis? In Florida, the authorities there have managed to build a road through the Everglades Swamp (Alligator Alley) and also satisfy the environmentalists. Yet, with all our money all we can get is talk and more talk.

I have resigned myself to waiting for another 20 years for the much touted light railway that will never be finished if we are to judge from the last 40 years.