Port Loyola streets still stuck in the mud
As a local campaign issue, it’s about as basic as it gets. So why do some Belizeans have good streets and others suffer with little more than muddy trails? That’s what News Five’s Marion Ali wanted to find out as she braved the roads of Port Loyola.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Like two months ago when residents of Tibruce Street called us out, this time it was residents of Arlington Drive in the Port Loyola Area who brought our attention to their plight. Teresita Rodriguez, whose daughter lives on Arlington Drive, describes how students cope with their ordeal.
Teresita Rodriguez, Frequents Arlington Drive
“I’m so sorry for them when I see them have to walk from here, take off their shoes and then go over that side, put it on back and go out.”
Marion Ali
“Have you all made complaints to the Belize City Council?”
Teresita Rodriguez
“I guess we don’t have to complain. They should see about it. I mean everyday they pass here and I think the minister for this area should come and take a look at this street and see what condition its like.”
Rodriguez says the street condition is so bad that even vehicles experience serious problems navigating the rough terrain.
Teresita Rodriguez
“It’s very deep because you can’t pass your car to the middle. You have to go to the side, if not you’ll break something on it.”
But Arlington Drive was not the only street in disrepair. There’s Boots Crescent, Hyde Street, and Trinity Street, to name just a few. Councillor responsible for Works in the Belize City Council, Anthony Michael admitted that there are several streets in terrible condition and blamed the problem on the rain.
Anthony Michael, Councillor in Charge of Works
“We have been on the internet and we’ll be having good weather right through until the weekend. This weekend we had a lot of those streets including Arlington Drive, we have Hyde Street as for one that is in very, very bad shape and we had those addressed. Our guys showed up at work but we had to send them home because of the continuous rain over the weekend.”
“As soon as we go out and we try to work, unfortunately with the threats of hurricane and the continuous rain and the rainy season we couldn’t touch all of them.”
“Residents if you have good sunlight you will see the earthen streets and the paved streets of Belize City addressed very quickly, by this weekend. If we do not have any rain by this weekend majority of those street that you consider having swimming pools on them will be addressed.”
Then there are the paved streets, like Central American Boulevard, with potholes that have been tended to but only for the short term.
Anthony Michael
“What we do we go and fill it with sand and gravel just to help the motorists passing by without their vehicles dropping hard into the holes. That is a temporary measure because in two days time we figure it will rain and if we put the tar in the tar will wash out and will cost the residents.”
“What we need when we put down the tar, at least two or three days of good sunlight. If we don’t get two or three days of good sunlight it doesn’t make much sense for us to put the tar there because that’s money throwing away.”
Marion Ali
“Is that the most cost-effective way? To put in the sand and gravel and the rains just keep washing it out. At the end of the day is that the most cost-effective way?”
Anthony Michael
“Well, from an economic standpoint no, from a logistic standpoint, yes, for pedestrians and for motorists because we could just say leave it like that until the rain stop.”
While Councillor Michael is not responsible for garbage collection, we took the opportunity to pose a few questions on that topic.
Anthony Michael
“We have one of our dump trucks going out assisting in addressing the hot spots situation. The cutting of the sanitation contract, as you said, is not really a reduction in scope of work.”
“We met with them and we called them and showed them all the contracts, you guys are charging us for this and you guys are charging us for the same thing. And both of them were doing the same collection and stuff.”
Marion Ali
“Maybe that’s what kept the city cleaner.”
Anthony Michael
“Well what happened is that a lot of the residents…and we have some cooperation from residents and some businesses and we urge our residents to please be conscious of not littering our city.”
Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali
And while citizens strive to keep Belize clean for the yuletide season the government announced late this evening that the cost of roasting that Christmas ham and turkey will be slightly reduced. As of midnight the control price of butane will go down by two dollars nationwide. It will be recalled that following a strike by butane vendors early in November the price was raised by ten dollars, nine dollars less than they had requested. Presumably the latest price drop reflects lower acquisition costs…but we have yet to get a reaction from the dealers.
