The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

FOLLOWING the tragic accident at Mayaguana which claimed three lives, the government plans to give serious attention to emergency lighting at all public airports in the country, said Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin yesterday.

Speaking to parliamentarians, the Minister said officials have now to complete a comprehensive review of critical indicators in the country’s support system.

In addition, Mrs Hanna-Martin said for years there had been no proper maintenance programme of solar emergency lights nationwide. She promised the government’s focus in that regard.

Her admissions came as criticisms of the Christie administration and former governments have continued to circulate over why the Mayaguana airport and others throughout the Bahamas have been forced to light runways by vehicle lights.

Family Islanders have even gone as far as saying that they have suffered years of neglect by government officials.

“The government,” she said, “will complete the exercise of installation of emergency lights at all remaining public airports in this country. The Department of Aviation’s advice is that those airports are Stella Maris, Long Island, Fresh Creek, Andros and Rum Cay.

“The Department also notes that emergency lights previously installed in Ragged Island and Deadman’s Cay in 2006 now require repair. In the case of Ragged Island, due to construction there at the airport and in the case of Deadman’s Cay due to recent severe storms, those airports will be addressed.”

The Mayaguana incident has sparked a blame game between the PLP government and the FNM.

On Tuesday, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said “hell will freeze over” before anyone stops his party from holding the former government accountable for their “failed” policies.

Just before his charge, FNM chairman Darron Cash accused the PLP government of “ducking and covering and blaming someone else” in the aftermath of the crash.

The aircraft was forced to make a late night landing on an unlit, damaged runway to pick up Rev Robert Black. He was in need of urgent medical care last Tuesday. Upon landing, it clipped one car before colliding with another. The second car then burst into flames and burned for hours. The three persons in the car, unable to escape, burned to death.