Easy passage

Member of Parliament for St Thomas Cynthia Forde says she will sleep well tonight after watching a blocked road in her constituency become passable again.

This morning, Forde was on hand as a group of concerned residents, using a bobcat and shovels, removed a pile of marl that had been placed there by an unknown person, to block the Vaucluse, St Thomas road. Some of the marl was used to fill potholes on that same road while private vehicles took the majority away.

Barbados TODAYwas informed by a source, that an application has been made to have the same road converted to a private road.

According to Forde who complained about the blocked road in Barbados TODAY’s January 7 edition, the move by the residents is a breath of fresh air, and a stern warning to whoever was responsible for blocking the public road that “you cannot just do what you please”.

She commended what she described as a high level of community-minded people who assisted.

“There is always somebody to answer to. I am happy to see what has happened here today. I am thankful to have this travesty removed, and I pray that it would never happen again.

“Despite our colour, our class, or creed, our persuasion politically, religiously or otherwise, we are all Barbadians and we must have free access to what our forefathers worked for. This public road has been cleared and I am hoping that it is not blocked again,” the MP told Barbados TODAY.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to see how a stumbling block has been turned into a stepping stone this morning. So that the rest of Barbados who are transacting their business in St Thomas, going on to St Andrew, St Joseph and St James, can pass on this road and have a safe passage because it has now been opened again after somebody, or somebodies put a load of marl here to block access. I pray that those who have done it would learn a little more common sense in the future,” Forde said.

She explained that in order for a public road to be made private, an application must be sent to Cabinet to be approved and discussed in Parliament.

“We in Barbados are a cohesive people and we don’t really want any more private roads. Every road should be made accessible to anyone because at the end of the day we are all Barbadians and we are serving Barbadians,” Forde said.

Businessman David Spieler, whose Earthworks Pottery is located close to the road, was among the residents who led the effort. He said after reading the article about the blocked road in Barbados TODAY, residents decided to open up the road, and is now hoping that there would not be another effort to block it.

“St Thomas is a community where everybody helps one another. It is a loving community, and we hope that everybody would continue to come together to uphold everything that is good,” Spieler said.

Managing director of Eastern Land Development Ltd, Michael Cozier, who owns the land on both sides of the road, told Barbados TODAY earlier this week that he did not know how the road got blocked.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb