The Tribune

IT’S a bumpy drive to work if you have to cross the junction of Shirley Street and Village Road at the moment.

On yesterday’s front page, we highlighted the patched-up mess left behind by BPL for weeks. By later in the day, lo and behold, someone had been out and thrown a bit more sand in the holes, a fix that will only work for as long as there’s no wind, rain or traffic. Good job it isn’t a busy junction by the coast, isn’t it?

BPL said the road was dug up because of a fault in a high-voltage cable – and they need to come back to dig a sizeable trench. That’s due to start in the first week of January, but in the meantime, it’s bump bump bump for anyone driving through the area. It leads to traffic queues as cars slow down to deal with the mess, and we hope no one’s car is being significantly damaged as they cross it.

We dread to think what the first day of school will be like if the situation is unchanged.

If only there was a solution... but wait! There is! Why, back in July, showing excellent foresight, Minister of Works Desmond Bannister tabled an amendment to the Roads Act, seeking to raise the fine for contractors leaving roads in a poor state of repair from $75 to $10,000. An extra $5,000 would have to be paid for each extra day.

We suggest he raises the matter promptly with the minister with BPL in his portfolio... Minister of Works Desmond Bannister.

When Parliament first passed the amendments, the wise Mr Bannister said: “Utilities have by and large been too lax in restoring roads properly. This amendment will bite them in the pocket book if they are lax.”

Looking at the junction of Shirley Street and Village Road, we suggest Mr Bannister takes the matter up with himself promptly. And tells BPL to get it fixed. Now.

An unwanted Junkanoo tradition

It wouldn’t be Junkanoo if there weren’t protests.

It seems like every year there is niggling and nitpicking over this score or that, meaning the final result drags on well into the new year.

To draw a parallel with American Football, imagine if you were watching a game and there was a flag thrown on every play, leaving the audience twiddling their thumbs waiting for the outcome.

Certainly, there can be major things to investigate - such as the corruption claims that came with the 2018/19 Boxing Day and New Year’s Day parades, though they petered out into nothing, with the Junkanoo corporation saying there was no “definitive or provable evidence that corruption took place”.

That investigation took too long as well – with that statement only emerging in November, and after repeated nudging from the press to find out the status of the investigation.

Wouldn’t it be something if we could find out the result - the final result - much sooner? If the celebrations of the winning group weren’t so unofficial after all?

Every year, we talk about ways in which Junkanoo can improve, from the speed of groups moving along Bay Street to the disputes over which groups can take part.

Minister Lanisha Rolle has had her own troubles with her relationship with Junkanoo groups –- but there’s an opportunity to turn over a new leaf and maybe solve some of these issues at the same time. A meeting between Junkanoo leaders and the minister is to take place next year. Let’s put that meeting to good use, and find ways to improve Junkanoo for all – and help it to thrive at the heart of our nation’s culture.