Frequent accidents at the one-mile mark of Guaico Tamana Road in Sangre Grande are a cause for concern among residents.
They are now calling on chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, Terry Rondon, to install speed bumps, box drains and sidewalks to protect life and limb, since they claimed that in the last three years several speeding vehicles have slammed into houses, businesses and pedestrians.
On Monday, several residents gathered at the home of a villager to vent their feelings about the perilous road, which stretches several kilometres and is used daily by motorists as a link to the Valencia Bypass Road.
The residents were joined by Sumintra Ramsaran, secretary of the Acham Ville Village Council, who supported their call for the infrastructural work.
In March, Harrita Holassie, sister of T&T’s running champ Ronnie Holassie, was warded for two days at the Sangre Grande Hospital after a car ploughed into her while she was walking along the road.
Holassie’s body was pitched several feet into the air before landing on an embankment and rolling into a three-foot drain.
Still wearing a neck brace and unable to work due to immense pain, Holassie, a taxi driver, pleaded for a sidewalk, box drains and speed bumps to be installed after the one-mile mark, which was described as a “dangerous strip.”
Holassie said the residents were not asking for much.
“All we are asking for is a quarter mile of speed bumps, box drains and pavements.”
She said the road was so narrow that two vehicles could not pass at the same time, while pedestrians were forced to walk on the white line painted on the road’s edge.
Since the accident, Holassie said, fear had kept her from venturing into the street.
“I can’t sit, walk or stand too long. The doctors said I have a torn ligament in my neck. I don’t know when the brace will be removed.”
To compound matters, Holassie said, she was yet to receive compensation from the driver’s insurance.
“For years, this problem has been ongoing and everyone from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation have been passing the buck. No one wants to take responsibility to deal with the problem,” Holassie complained.
Another resident Angie Soopalie said a driver almost ended up on top of her jhandi, a few months ago. She said more motorists had been using their street since the opening of the Valencia Bypass Road last year.
On two occasions, shopkeeper Chanmooie Mohammed said she narrowly escaped injury when a panel van and police car crashed into her front wall.
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In a telephone interview on Friday, Rondon said this was the first time the matter was brought to his attention.
Rondon promised to visit the community on Tuesday to see the problem first hand.
“I take the complaints of burgesses very seriously. I will do my best to assist. I promise you that,” Rondon said.