Tancoo: Fix Oropouche West Infrastructure NOW

OROPOUCHE WEST MP SAYS REPAIRS ARE LONG OVERDUE AND CALLS FOR ADDITIONAL WORK TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY

Davendranath Tancoo, Member of Parliament for Oropouche West, today expressed thanks to the Ministry of Works and Transport for beginning significant repair work on the SS Erin Road, but also reiterated his dissatisfaction that this critical work had been ignored by the government for so long. M. P. Tancoo, who visited and inspected the site, along with Councillor Romona Victor, shortly after his August election as representative for the Southern Constituency, also warned there are many other roads in the area in dire need of repair and demanded that the Ministry begin work on those projects immediately.

“I am very happy that the people of Oropouche West will finally see these long-overdue repairs, but I am outraged that their needs have been ignored for so long,” Tancoo said. “It is inexcusable that hardworking tax-payers have been forced to put their safety and the safety of their families at risk because of the Geographic Discrimination this Government exhibits in consistently ignoring the needs of South Trinidad. We deserve far more government attention and action to fix our neglected infrastructure, to provide adequate resources to fight increasing crime, and to support job creation in a region decimated by cavalier closures.”

The repairs will take place in the vicinity of the 17mm at Syne Village Penal, where residents of Penal, Siparia, and environs as well as commuters who traverse this main thoroughfare have suffered, as the severe deterioration of the roadway left only one side of the roadway usable. Instead of conducting critical repairs, the MOWT instead placed steel sheets as a cosmetic cover for this dangerous situation. These sheets were quickly warped as a result of the level of the traffic which traverse the roadway, returning the problem to a situation of substantial traffic disruption and inconvenience.

M.P. Tancoo also called for a series of additional infrastructure repair projects that he said were long overdue. He advised that there are multiple roads, bridges, drains and rivers requiring the Government’s attention, including the nearby Bridge at Moora Dam Road, which collapsed two years ago and has been ignored since.

“I am in the process of finalising a detailed list of critical infrastructural works needed for the Constituency of Oropouche West which I am sending to the Minister for his urgent action,” MP Tancoo promised. “I will hold him directly responsible and will be following it up with him regularly to ensure that Oropouche West is abandoned no longer.”

“It is time that this Government pay particular attention to the infrastructure of Oropouche West which they have ignored for the last five years,” he added. “Taxpaying residents of Oropouche West are being put in undue danger, and risk of significant loss as a result of this intransience.”

MP Tancoo recommitted to continue working with the residents and Local Government Representatives in the Constituency until the necessary repairs have been completed.

“I will not rest until the people of Oropouche West can travel the roads of this constituency in comfort, convenience and safety. For as long as I serve them, no government will ignore their needs ever again.”