IMBERT: PAVING NO ELECTION GIMMICK

“The exercise is directed primarily at main roads and highways because they are the responsibility of the Works Ministry,” Imbert added.

He said the ministry is paving main roads and highways which appear to the non-informed eye to be in good condition, but really are not.

“Roads and highways have a particular life span and if the ministry waits until the last minute, when it is crumbling, we will have to close them. What we are doing is called preventative maintenance. In other words, we taking in front. Only the trained eye can observe that the asphalt is cracking, which would allow water to enter the foundation and destroy it. It’s a scientific approach and many don’t understand it because they are not trained in asphalt work,” Imbert said.

He said the ministry is also paving secondary roads too which are not their responsibility because they are simply trying to help out Local Government bodies.

He said whenever the ministry starts paving roads, a chorus of requests come to them asking for roads not under their purview to be paved as well.

“There’s a complete refusal to accept the fact that the ministry is responsible for only main roads and highways and people want us to pave National Housing Authority, Caroni, oilfield, agricultural access and corporation roads.” Imbert said the Works Ministry has been increasingly taking on roads not legally theirs in a bid to help out. He said within the next three to six months they will seek to get local government bodies, community organisations and interest groups to interact with each other and the ministry in an attempt to sort out the road paving problem.