Residents forced to risk lives crossing river on makeshift footbridge and zipline in Troy
“One day I try again, and when I was there, my car park [at Troy] and I was going to Christiana, I had to run, because of the rain, to reach back to the car before the river come down,” he said.
Cowick Park resident and farmer David Lewis said he had to close his hardware and his farm have been badly affected since his crops are on the other side of the river from where he lives.
“It a gimme a big fight. Mi have a likkle hardware and it lock down fi good. Mi farm across here [Cowick Park] still a gi mi a fight because mi have to carry up to 6,000 yam sticks and mi haffi throw everything across [the river],” he said.
“When mi [walk] cross now mi use mi pickup and carry it up to the farm. When mi finish now mi drive around and carry back the van round pon the next part. It a gi wi a fight, a nuh nutten pretty,” he added.
He is among those calling for a temporary footbridge.
“Mi woulda can come through likkle bit lighter [with the footbridge] because when the river come down mi haffi a climb inna the crate and that nuh feel good. You can go inna it and the cord can buss, anything can happen; a life that,” he said.
“A whole heap a chance wi a tek wid the river right now, and a September now, so yuh know seh a rainy season… Mi woulda appreciate the walkfoot [bridge] ’til better come,” he added.
Yam farmer Baslyn Swaby has been feeling the effects of using the alternative route in his pocket.
“It rough… Wi haffi go waay round the road. It costs too much — more gas, more energy, everything,” he said.
Cowick Park resident Delvin Webby has a scar on his side to show after he rescued his 14-year-old son Damar from drowning in the river in June.
“A whole heap a people can lose dem life down deh so.
Right now it [section of bridge] can tear down at any time pon people and kill dem, enuh,” he said.
He is calling on the Government to swiftly replace the collapsed bridge.
“All now dem nuh come tell wi nutten, enuh… When rain fall nobody cyaan walk deh so, enuh. A inna the box people haffi go, like a yam or luggage yuh a pack up. People a run risk wid dem life fi go a dem yard,” he said.
“The embarrassing thing and the bag a remarks nuh really go nuh weh, enuh. The ting [bridge] need fi done right now. We want action!” he shouted.
“Dem nuh want nuh glass fi see seh assistance need right now. A emergency this, enuh. If dem a go wait till sumady dead tomorrow dem run come do sinting, it nuh mek nuh sense…” added Webby.
He said the Government has not been responding to the plight of residents to even construct a footbridge.
“Then if dem come put that in how long now, no one wouldn’t have nutten a complain about… Dem nuh come do nutten, not even piece a rope or a stick. A people haffi do it fi themselves,” he said.
“A major road this. This yah road shouldn’t be down fi so long. This yah road carry yuh right roun’ Jamaica. Any weh yuh waan go, enuh, and a whole heap a people come yah so and haffi ask people question weh dem fi go,” he added.
Troy resident Royan Nelson is concerned about the safety of students.
“It rough pon dem.. nuff time dem haffi tek off all dem shoes to how down deh mud up and dem haffi come up and wash off dem foot,” he said.
Another resident, Raymond Powell, believes the Government is not proactive.
“Is like the Government a wait pon some judgement fi gwaan before dem do suppen. It look like seh dem love excitement. When dem hear seh nine or 10, 11 people dead and the big crowd down yah now, because dem love prove, enuh, so [a] when some people dead [they will act],” he said.
“It very dangerous. Right now it nuh name Cowick Park Bridge again, it name death valley… Even when you stand up pon the bridge a romp yuh a romp wid yuh life. [Putting] people inna the crate [and] walking inna the water, a romp wid dem life because the wall deh can drop down anytime,” he added.
He said makeshift footbridges, built by residents, are washed away once the river goes into spate.
“Every day dem man yah carry wood like seh a lumber yard dem a go sell lumber fi put cross the [river] fi school pickney come cross. Sometime mi seh, ‘A one-day bridge that, enuh,’ because it only put up till the rain fall, enuh,” he said.