Housing schemes pose...
Local Democratic Organs along the East Bank corridor”, he said.
Regarding empty plots, Saul said that the Authority is encouraging allottees to build soonest. In future, he said it is the Authority’s intention to strengthen the conditions of sale. “As we move forward we will put more stringent measures in the condition of sale so if you do not build within a given time it will make it much more easier for us to repossess your lots”, he said.
He added that the present laws make it difficult to repossess those empty lots. “The time it will take…because you have to go through a long judicial procedure and based on the advice I have received, maybe we need to relook at the terms and conditions”, he said.
$500 to get home
A resident of Herstelling lamented the challenges she faces to get to her home at Herstelling. Stabroek News met the woman at Mocha road head where she was awaiting transportation to take her home. She explained that it cost $100 per man to get to Herstelling but because her road is in a bad state, she has to pay $500. At the time she was with two other occupants of her home.
She informed that she has been living in the area for the past two years and because of the ongoing construction of nearby houses, the road has gotten worse. “People really punishing a lot in here”, she said while noting that having to regularly pay $500 to get home is burdensome on her.
Like many other residents, she stressed that government ought to ensure that systems are put in place to ensure the safety and comfort of residents. She said that the police would have difficulty patrolling roads in their present state.
“Taxi don’t always want to take me home because of the street”, she stressed, the frustration showing on her face.
Another resident living in that area said that every two months she has to be buying car parts. “They gotta do the roads man. When it rain it worse…the children and everybody got to be doing hop scotch”, she said.
The resident indicated that she raised the issue earlier this year with the Ministry and was told that because of the upcoming May/June rains it made no sense to grade the road. She said that that time has passed and another rainy season is approaching. “So is back to hop scotch for all ah we”, she stressed while adding that she remains hopeful that at some point the roads in the community will be fixed.
A taxi driver operating in the Herstelling area said that traversing the community is often difficult because of the state of the roads. He said that he has been using his car as a taxi for the past year. “It is very difficult when it rain. The car does cut out when it go in them big hole that full ah wata”, the man said. He noted that about 10 cars operate from the Mocha road head.
Residents of Farm and Providence had similar complaints. Stabroek News observed huge holes in the roads. One is unable to drive comfortably on very few roads.
One resident of Provi-dence said that though her street is bad, a police patrol would pass once a week. Residents in none of the other schemes made mention of police patrols.
Asked whether the Authority intends to ensure that the roads are fixed before the schemes are handed over to the NDCs, Saul informed that “the development of the schemes are done in an incremental manner and some of those roads we are working on presently to improve the conditions”.
Lights and water for Farm is progressing, he said, adding that the Authority has already mobilized some of the resources – posts and transformers while the electrical cables are being shipped from China. He said that in a short while the tender for the electrical network will be awarded.
The NDC is responsible for street lights.