Dennie Quill, Contributor

In an ideal world one would expect that the safety of construction sites extends to the road surface and the environment where construction takes place. But we do not live in an ideal world.

Recently, there has been a construction boom in Kingston, particularly in the area of residential housing development. Kingston 6 is extremely active in that regard. The tell-tale signs are not merely the spanking new edifices reaching for the skies, but the ramshackle road surface during and after construction.

Several examples spring to mind. Hopefield Avenue has been in a deplorable state in the last few months in the vicinity of a construction site. Scores of motorists use that road to take their children to school and have suffered in silence for many months. Pedestrians have been playing hopscotch on this road.

Then there is Clieveden Avenue where a huge pool of water has settled in the pothole-filled road near to a construction site. It is sheer bravery to use this road.

Hazardous

A few months back, driving on Liguanea Avenue was extremely hazardous because the road had deteriorated so badly in the vicinity of construction activities.

Then there is Seaview Avenue. Construction appears to have ended here, but the road surface has not been brought back to what it was prior to housing construction. The patchwork nature of this job is typical around these sites.

I have cited these examples, because as an occasional user of these roads I have been extremely frustrated that the developers and construction professionals appear not to understand their social responsibility to the communities in which they make their money.

I can imagine that the people who live on these roads or who use them regularly would have sighed a thousand times as they tried to dodge craters and overcome obstacles to get to their homes or businesses. Elsewhere in the city and around the country there are multiple examples that I have been told about.

For example, I have seen private homeowners dump loads of sand and aggregate in the streets, posing risks to pedestrians and motorists alike without any consequences. I guess the thinking is that if the big developers can create havoc on major thoroughfares, why can't I do my own thing?

Activity in the construction industry is welcome because it provides jobs for professionals, skilled workers and even unskilled persons. All persons involved in the construction process - developers, engineers, architects, contractors, etc. - must carry some responsibility to ensure that the inconvenience to others is minimised during construction.

Commitment

In the same way that internal quality assurance procedures are attended to on site, there should be a commitment to ensure that the environment is not severely damaged in the process of construction. Whatever the effects in the broader economy, these sites should not create an environment of distress for road users.

I recall the city's mayor, Desmond McKenzie, calling on state agencies like the National Works Agency and the National Water Commission to be more conscientious in repaving road surfaces dug up by them.

It is typically Jamaican to vent and then forget. In any event, who was listening to the mayor? And who is ultimately responsible for rehabilitating these road surfaces? Are there legal requirements compelling developers and contractors to comply with specific standards in these matters?

Is there a law requiring all parties to a construction project to have appropriate insurance coverage before the project begins, which would last beyond the period of construction? This is necessary so that if the road surface is not properly repaired there should be funds to ensure that the requisite correction is done.

The Master Builders' Association has long been a loud advocate for professionalism. Are members satisfied that their activities are being done in a manner to promote safety and community satisfaction?

Do they also have a problem with the state agencies? If so, they should let the public know. Surely the Master Builders and allied associations should be deeply concerned about this trend and should be anxious to work with the relevant agencies to find a solution.