By Emmanuel Joseph
Accusing the authorities of neglect, workers, business people and others said Friday they are fed up with the conditions at the island’s main air cargo facility at Seawell.
Some angry workers and those who do business with the warehouse have demanded that Minister of International Transport Ian Gooding-Edghill intervene urgently to improve its physical state.
Veteran customs broker Anderson Cadogan did not mince his words in describing the situation within the compound, including the state of the road that leads onto the premises which falls under the control of the Grantley Adams International Airport next door.
“The whole state of affairs up here really is deplorable, simply because we have conditions which are not conducive to business, because the plant is dated, very outdated, and the coupled with the fact that there is no maintenance,” Cadogan, who has been doing business with the facility for over 40 years, told Barbados TODAY.
“There seems to be no plan for cargo because out here is always in a total mess, dirty and flood-prone. I have seen flooding come over the ramp in my time up here, and I have been doing business up here for 40 years now. The roads leading in…horrible. So, it’s total neglect. That’s what it really is, and it gets worse by the day.”
According to the veteran customs broker, the last time any remedial work was done on the premises was about three years ago when the car park was paved and the wells capped.
“But to me, that was basically it. That did not address the issue, because the slightest downpour, we can’t get to the steps and so on. So that means there was no plan in terms of alleviating the situation,” he said.
A worker, who asked not to be identified for fear of victimisation, complained of being out of pocket by $3 000 which went to repair damage to their car caused by “large” potholes near the entrance to the cargo warehouse area.
One of the potholes leading to the Seawell cargo compound.
“When the rain falls, especially at night, there is plenty water on that road which makes it impossible to see where the potholes are,” the employee said.
Another customs broker also complained of having to spend some $5 000 on a vehicle to “constantly” change shock absorbers.
“The conditions down in here need to change because this is our livelihoods. I work with my brother. I handle the airport, he handles the seaport. So, I am up here, practically every day,” said the broker.
The broker recalled posting a video of flooding on the compound on social media some time ago, and the response from a top management official at the facility was that it had been happening since 1969. “That is ridiculous,” the broker declared.
Freighter Peter King recalled cargo falling off his truck while transporting it along the same road.
“Because the holes are so bad, and you got the cargo on the truck, when you hit into the holes, off-balancing the cargo, and the cargo falling off the truck. I found myself in a lot of situations already with my freight on my truck on this same road here. It needs repairing. This has been so for years,” King told Barbados TODAY.
Turning his attention to the car park, which everyone interviewed agreed floods when it rains, the freighter explained that staff or people transacting business cannot access their vehicles.
“When you see the rain fall, you got to get a boat. People can’t get to their cars. They got two wells there, but the wells are clogged up. In fact, I would not call them wells, they are holes…. A well does pull water,” King said.
The road leading to the cargo facility.
(Photos by Emmanuel Joseph)
A businesswoman, who preferred to remain anonymous but goes to the facility weekly to receive cargo, raised other concerns besides the flooding and the bad potholes.
“Here, now, if the rain started to fall, you have to go in Customs, but you can’t congest the people’s place. You can’t stand up there [in front of a cargo business entity] because they say you are blocking the door. If you remain away from the door of any entity, you will get wet because there is no place for the public to shelter outside of the building.”
The woman added: “You can’t go in the people’s office either. So, there is nowhere to shelter when you come to collect your merchandise. I don’t mind if no shade is in place to cover the merchandise when it is being put in the van, but you got to accommodate me. You can always get back merchandise, but you can’t get another me. So, I don’t want to get wet. That is my main concern about the compound.”
International Transport Minister Gooding-Edghill could not be reached for comment. Hadley Bourne, Chief Executive Officer of Grantley Adams International Airport, told Barbados TODAY he was in a meeting and could not speak at the time.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
