Marly areas of the main road that separates 2 and 3 East, Greater Portmore, cause a severe dust nuisance to residents.

What's not working?

The potholes littering sections of Portmore Parkway are a problem. And unless you drive your own Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus, or a tractor, you'll be in a hellhole.

Synopsis of situation:

The sprawling dormitory community of Portmore got a fair lashing of rainfall which pelted the entire island in October and November. And, as was feared, roads in the area were severely damaged, including the busy thoroughfare, Portmore Parkway.

Some taxi drivers competing with buses on the No. 20 route doubled fares, purportedly on the basis of big repair bills, as well as to cover occupational hazard fees of operating illegally, with police cars and wreckers constantly on their tail.

That aside, the condition of the parkway deteriorated very quickly and motorists unfamiliar with the stretch are urged to proceed with caution, especially at nights. Often it is too late for drivers to avoid impact. The last thing you would want to do is to swerve away from the pothole in a hurry. You will either end up in a more vicious crater or oncoming traffic. So, really, it pays to drive cautiously on that pothole-plagued street.

Another section of roadway that the authorities may want to look at is the thoroughfare that runs between the communities of 2 and 3 East in Greater Portmore. It's a dust bowl.

One resident says what the authorities term 'repairs' is the ritual dumping of marl in craters, which makes matters worse. She added that her home and flowers are dust-plagued because vehicular traffic never fails to whip up virtual dust storms from the marl patches.

The dust nuisance, the resident noted, has persisted for months, and is so serious that she did not even bother putting up a Christmas tree for her kids, fearing it would have been covered in white, spoiling all the fun.

Who's Responsible?

The National Works Agency (NWA).

What's the status?

The status is yet to be ascertained. A representative from the NWA said that while the agency was responsible for the upkeep of the Portmore Parkway, only PR spokesman Stephen Shaw could address the matter of repairs.

Conclusion:

Well, seeing that Shaw was not in when we called, the 'To Be Continued' label will be stamped on this one until a response is received. In the same breath, the authorities or a corporate citizen may want to consider adding a few bus stops along the stretch as well.

Currently, Greater Portmore (particularly the stretch from the '100-Man' Police Station to the Greater Portmore Shopping Centre) is a single degree away from hell temperature levels. A few roofed bus stops would be greatly appreciated. And please, do something about that dust depriving kids of a Christmas tree.

- Marlon Vickerman

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, P.O. Box 40, Kingston; Fax: 922-6223, Telephone: 922-3400 Ext. 6364 or Email: tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com.