EDITORIAL

We do not mean to appear facetious about such an important issue, but the pothole issue is one that literally jars the driver out of his or her concentration. As indicated in yesterday’s editorial, poor road usage by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians is serious business, one that can result in loss of life. But there is another factor that must be considered – the number of potholes that open up on our roads, leading to navigational challenges on the part of many road
users.

While Government has undertaken repairs, time will tell if the island’s slew of potholes, especially those in rural districts, can be fixed and endure for a significant period of time.

Since his appointment, Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance William Duguid has been consistently assuring the public that road repairs remain a priority, and drivers have already seen the repaving on sections of ABC Highway. In recent times, he has expressed alarm during tours in other parishes over the state of neglect of roads, noting that Government may have to acquire extra funds to accommodate all the repairs.

Until such a time, the majority of the travelling public in rural and some urban areas know too well the challenges of navigating pothole territories. With poorly lit or dark roads to hamper their progress, drivers routinely make split second decisions regarding which way to swerve to avoid dropping into potholes or brace themselves for the thump when the vehicle inevitably lands in one.

Recent, persistent, light to moderate showers on the island only exacerbate the problem, and make the cracks worse than before. Last year the Road Safety Association flagged potholes on some roads for easy identification; we fear this time around, entire stretches of highways may have to be spraypainted to draw attention to the those open expanses.

The reality is more than just borrowing extra money to fix current problems. Longer term solutions are needed that identify the best mix for this region, and to accommodate our constant sunshine and limestone terrain. Road repairs should also focus on how heavily trafficked an area is and if it floods easily. For example, in some rural areas, an overflow of water from surrounding bush or canefields makes its way onto adjacent roads, which may undermine the strength of the solution. It is also well documented that when schools are in session, there is even more traffic than usual. Add rain, blocked watercourses, flood-prone areas, and sudden school closures to that equation and extreme road wear and tear becomes unavoidable.

We are certain Barbados is not the only country in the world with this problem. However, we are also aware that it cannot be business as usual, where in a few months’ time the travelling public is back to complaining again about poor driving conditions.

Barbados will always have to cope with the twin flaws of being flat and flood-prone. It will either mean patching and repatching roads, a situation that will always have a certain impermanence and expense; or finding comprehensive, far-reaching, novel solutions to adapt our roads for better usability.