MINISTER MCKENZIE CALLS FOR THE REMOVAL OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, BILLBOARDS AND CARS ALONG PUBLIC THOROUGHFARE
Speaking at a Special Press Briefing on preparation for Tropical Storm Melissa at the Office of the Prime Minister on Saturday morning (October 25), Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie called on the responsible persons to remove construction materials and equipment, Billboards and cars along the public thoroughfare. Hon. Desmond McKenzie noted that several major construction sites have failed to remove items that could potentially become a danger to human life or cause damage to existing infrastructure during the storm.
“There are several major construction sites, that still has materials, sand, gravel, steel, and some cases, cranes, still hanging in the air. Going to make a general appeal this morning, to all construction sites, not just in the corporate area but right across the country that they must start to take the necessary steps to remove cranes, steel, sand, blocks, which will only contribute more to blocking our drains,” he urged.
Minister McKenzie further added that another concern was erected billboards. He then made an appeal for those items to be dismounted immediately and stored in a safe place until after the passage of weather system.
“Billboards should be taken down, this is the work of the Municipal Corporation, so I’m saying that all billboards, should be taken down at this time, and put in a safe place,” he added.
Minister McKenzie advised used car dealers who park their cars along the roadway to remove the vehicles, adding that haulage trucks were on patrol to remove the vehicles to the Riverton dump site, should they fail to comply.
“We still have used car operators who continue to use the public thoroughfare to display vehicles… just to advise, that a team of wrecker operators is presently combing the streets of the corporate area and where we find these vehicles, they’re going to remove them and take them to the Riverton City dump,” he said.
He cautioned that these items could become human missiles and can become a danger to others.
Tropical Storm Melissa is forecast to pass directly through Jamaica by Tuesday of next week.