School bus still not operational

Nov 27, 2016 News

… road remains in a deplorable condition

The Christmas term is coming to a close and the school bus ‘David G 10’ is not in

(Above): The deplorable road surface
(Below): The Coomacka Bridge

operation and it doesn’t seem as if it will ever work. Schoolchildren are still faced with the long wait for public transportation to get to and from school. They are sometimes stranded.
The reason given for the bus not being in operation is because the road is in a deplorable condition. According to one bus driver who wished not to be named, the school bus is inadequate for the road.
“That is not de right bus fuh de road, it too low.”
Complaints were made just after the bus was donated and residents of the communities of Coomacka, Old England and Yaribo Mines were promised that the main access road would be repaired.
One resident said that the road has deteriorated due to lack of proper drainage. “De road lower than de drain so when de rain fall it wash way de road. These people forget mines; is people live here not animals and big people got to travel these roads and it dangerous.”
The residents noted that there is laterite which could be used to construct proper roads. They claim schoolchildren are suffering and minibus owners too. “We got to repair our vehicles and parts are expensive.”
Another sore point for the residents is the Coomacka bridge. They claim that only half of the bridge was done and it cannot be used because there is no support at the bottom; they are afraid that it will collapse. “De contractor just do half de bridge when de president was coming in to give de bus. It aint got no support at de bottom, we does use de other side and that going.”
The bridge was constructed by one ‘Bandika’, only name given and it is alleged that four million dollars was spent.
When this newspaper visited the bridge, the one side that is being used has a hole in the middle and a plank inside to alert the drivers to maneuver around it. “This is a disaster waiting to happen.”
The residents are pleading with the relevant authorities to look into the matter with urgency.