Even the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but the New Hope thoroughfare in St. Ann is both tortuous and torturous.

What's not working?

Roads in the New Hope district of St. Ann are horrible. On second thought, there are no roads in New Hope, only mishmash patches of rocks, gravel and fragments of asphalt.

Residents lament the dilapidated condition of the thoroughfare and two decades of neglect.

Synopsis of situation:

It's a back-aching, thigh-cramping and energy-sapping walk up the New Hope road. And driving on the rugged terrain is hardly easier. Barefaced craters stare you down at every inch of the track.

Keneisha Forsythe said in her 28 years in the community, the only time she remembers road repairs of any sort was in 2005, when a phone company had to literally "pave their way" to the selected location for installation of their network antenna.

"Since then, we have been left to contend with this track," she said.

Angela Thomas also tells a similar tale. "Nobody cares about New Hope residents! I bet you that if we had gone to Ochi and block some roads, then we would start getting some attention from the parish council," she exclaimed. "All we hearing is just empty promises. That's it, promises on top of promises about how much they are going to sort out the road."

Thomas also explained that the poor condition of the road not only poses a threat to the living but also the dead.

"Last November, a lady further up the road died, and I'm telling the truth, it was hell for the hearse to go up there for her. It couldn't manage the condition of the road!"

Neshara Harris, also of New Hope, told her tale about the trail. She says the route is most dangerous during heavy rains, as marl slides back to the bottom of the rocky trek, taking everything with it - passengers, taxis and debris.

Who's responsible?

A youngster puts his soles to the test as he treks along the gravel-filled New Hope road. - Photos by Marlon Vickerman

The St. Ann Parish Council.

What's the status?

A representative from the St. Ann Parish Council's Roads and Works Department told our news team that there are plans in place to carry out remedial work as soon as funds are secured.

Conclusion:

One thing is certain: New Hope needs new roads. The situation in the community is dangerous. A worse-case scenario slip on a rock or some other debris may very well mean serious injury to residents, especially to the many children and senior citizens in the area.

The responsible agency needs to do its job and ease the suffering of the New Hope residents. Since the parish councils are not fiscally autonomous, central government is partly to blame for allowing the road to deteriorate. Hopefully, the gravity of their distress will shame the relevant authorities into action.

- Done by Marlon Vickerman, Gleaner Writer

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Tell us about problems in your community. We will visit and help to lobby for action. Write to: Tyrone Reid, the Gleaner Company Ltd., 7 North Street, Kingston; Fax: 922-6223 Telephone: 922-3400 Ext. 6364 or Email: tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com.

Enter at your own peril: A taxi operator braving the treacherous roadway.