Phillips: Barbadians were taken for a ride

MINISTER in the Ministry of Transport Works and Mainte-nance Peter Phillips has criticised the former administration for “tricks” played against the Barbadian public as it relates to its last road works programme.

Speaking in the Lower Chamber yesterday on a supplementary for $7 million, Phillips stated that the CAF loan agreement was signed on November 30 2015. “And as I review in the Ministry the report on the works we recognise that 70 percent of the roads were listed, started in January 2018, mere weeks before the dissolution of parliament in this country before a general election.”

“It probably gets even worse, one of the roads, was started on April 16 just a mere 11 days before the general election date was called. And it goes down even further, that on April30 three days after the general election was announced, another one started.”

“And I say that simply to say this, we cannot as a government, and we have set the pace bright and early...we cannot bring any tricks and so on to the people to this country. Because what we see demonstrated in this report that we reviewed ... is that people in Barbados were taken for a ride. Taken for granted. Because you believed that having done nothing, for some two years or more that at the last minute within a couple of weeks, you could come and fool people by starting various roads.”

Phillips who is the Member of Parliament for St. Lucy said he is happy that the roads have been started and gave the assurance that the roads will be completed. “We want Barbados to know that we mean business within this administration.”

The Minister also committed that efforts will be made to visit, wherever possible, as many of the roads that were highlighted in the Lower Chamber.

“When the last administration came to office, one of the first measures they took in the first budget was to increase road tax tremendously. With persons paying more road tax, the roads got worse. We will abolish the road tax and fix the roads.”

“It is very important that we have safe roads to travel on. We are a tourist oriented country. I am appalled that when tourists come to Barbados and they travel as far north to my constituency ... the worst network.”

He agreed that if the depots had the necessary equipment more road works could be undertaken across the island. (JH)