Milton Village cries for help

They met early in the morning, with placards, at Milton Junction, the main entrance to the Couva village, which is in the middle of sugarcane fields, off Rivulet Road, near the Brechin Castle factory. It’s a rough ride through potholes to get to the village, the protesters said.

“This is the action the residents have decided to take. It is unfortunate but completely understandble,” their councillor Shaffimoon Taj told Newsday.

The hike in fares from $3 to $4, the councillor said, is the result of increased traffic on the highway and along Rivulet Road.

Another factor for taxi drivers raising their fares, Taj said, was the closure of the Captain Watson Bridge. The structure has been deemed unsafe and the traffic was re-directed to Rivulet Road.

The villagers stood on the junction for two hours and waved their placards at passing vehicles.

Taj said there have been several accidents along Rivulet Road and the villagers petitioned the Couva/Tabaq-uite/Talparo Regional Corporation for traffic lights to be placed at the intersection of Milton and Rivulet roads.

Taj also said the villagers are living in fear as criminal activity has also been on the rise.

“Crime seems to have infested our area even though we have increased the number of street lights,” said Taj.

The councillor said the police presence in Milton Village has been minimal and there is a dire need for more police patrols. “The residents are frustrated and are pleading for something to be done,” she said.