Dear Editor – Over the past weeks when travelling in the public bus or at the workplace or while strolling along the streets in Honiara, you will hear various comments about the condition of the road in West Honiara constituency.
Some comments are in favour of the road users while others are intentionally for the responsible authorities.
We don’t know who is telling the truth or to blame but this is quite interesting because both parties claim that they have done their part but unfortunately previous road improvements cannot sustain for more than a month.
During the bad weather period, the regular travelers and vehicle owners often raised complains that huge amount of money had been contributed in a form of taxes and business license fees to the responsible authority but still there is no road improvement.
Their complaints somehow reached the responsible authorities and later positive respond was then made where our local Contractor then offered a road improvement project.
Now the pot holes are patch with bare sand and you hardly heard more of any negative comments by road users except for our Chinese friend who was sad because the number of his clients for spare parts has reduced.
Not only this but the road Contractors after completion of the road maintenance they also worry because this will take some time before the next project can be allocated as there are slim chances of getting jobs and they only wish if the nature could quickly steps in.
Few days ago, Honiara had experienced heavy rain which does not care about protecting the patch pot holes.
About 2 to 5 minutes later you hardly see any more sand in the pot holes as the nature has done its part and creates more pot holes.
This raises more concern but our local Contractors and the Chinese spare parts shop were very happy because the nature has respond to their wishes.
Unlike the road users who remain confused and eager to know why the road maintenance are not lasts or who is not actually performing their job thoroughly.
Some says that it is the use of heavy goods vehicles such as the dump trucks and Prime Movers vehicles which are not suited for our road condition while others comment that due to inflation, the funds allocated to the Contractors is insufficient to purchase for tar.
Hence the Contractors only resolved to use bare sand, so long as the pot holes are fixed. But the high school students claim that huge amount of money supposed to paid to the Contractors but unfortunately half of it has been diverted for our political leaders to attend an urgent overseas meeting.
They claim to reimburse the money after signing the next treaty.
There were many criticisms being made as each one is blaming each other while the road condition continues to deteoriate.
This is not a new issue as it had been a problem ever since the last parliament and continues till this current 10th Parliament. One of the concern raised by a regular road users is whether this problem will continue for next year 2018.
The fear is the upcoming general election in case our current Politicians will focus in improving the roads in their constituency and forget about the West Honiara constituency road.
Please do address the confusion as now we can’t tell who is telling the right thing but rather blame each other for not doing good work.
Thanks.
Munro Rarava
West Honiara resident
