Minister Mike Henry's recent proposal that a cess be levied on petroleum to generate funds for road repairs is interesting and timely. It should be noted, however, that the cost of any cess on petroleum at the point between supplier and refinery would eventually be passed on to the consumer.

Even so, if the funds were to go directly to fix the roads and more important, were managed with complete transparency, I am sure the consumer would be willing to pay the little extra at the pump.

Horrible road conditions

I would, however, urge the minister and the National Works Agency to also consider implementing a cess on aggregates. The transport of tonnes of gravel, marl and boulders on our roads has resulted in damage that I can only guess would cost billions of dollars to repair. I can speak directly to this as a resident of western St Thomas. Aggregate mining from the Yallahs River has resulted in horrible road conditions, not only on the secondary roads, but on the main road networks.

Warped road surfaces and pot holes, as well as piles of gravel deposited on the road surface all contribute to the increased likelihood of accidents, not to mention higher vehicle-maintenance costs. The often-ignored wider social costs, such as dust pollution, increased soil erosion, lost work time (stuck behind a slow- moving truck), among others should also be considered as part of the rationale for such a cess.

Broadly speaking, the Ministry of Transport needs to set policy that encourages the use of alternative means of transporting bulk aggregate (and other goods).

Imagine this: A ship docked off Yallahs that would take a load of 'sustainably' mined aggregates (boulders, gravel and/or sand) to a distribution point in Kingston or Port Maria. From there, the aggregate could be moved by rail or road, as well as sea, to other points. This would result in reduced road damage and shorter commuting time for the general public while saving the country billions of dollars and even creating more "jobs, jobs jobs".

I am, etc.,

PETER E. T. EDWARDS

pedwards@UDel.Edu