A story we carried on Monday this week serves to highlight the argument we made the day before for a single road authority.

Our story told of residents of Mountain Spring, St Andrew, who took it upon themselves to repair the embankment of the main road which was on the brink of total collapse.

The issue was brought to public attention by Ms Stacey Knight, the People’s National Party caretaker for St Andrew North Eastern, who, in a press statement Sunday, praised the community for its resilience, but chided National Works Agency (NWA) and National Water Commission (NWC) for inaction.

According to Ms Knight, in early December residents of Mountain Spring Close — a cul-de-sac with 13 houses — discovered a leak in an NWC main pipe. The gushing water eroded the soft earth along the road’s verge, creating a precarious situation.

The residents reported the matter to the NWC and alerted the NWA about the urgent need for restoration and preventative maintenance.

But weeks later the hillside gave way, leaving the road dangerously compromised.

“It wasn’t until after the collapse that the NWC finally shut off the water,” Ms Knight said, adding that the NWC disclaimed responsibility for the road repairs and passed the matter to the NWA.

However, when the NWA visited, it told the residents that the road was under the jurisdiction of the municipal authority. With no government action forthcoming, the residents took the initiative to prevent further disaster by constructing a makeshift barrier using trees and tarpaulin. But it was clear that more was required.

So, on December 30, 2024, privately contracted workmen began constructing a 30-foot retaining wall to secure the road and prevent further erosion.

This newspaper has since been informed that the NWA was actually correct that the road is the responsibility of the municipality. However, the fact that the residents and Ms Knight believed that the NWA was the responsible entity is indicative of the confusion surrounding road maintenance.

Citizens who live with the inconvenience, headache, and costs associated with bad roads experience further frustration when told that: “This is not an NWA road,” or “This is not a parish council road,” or worse, “It is a private road.”

As we stated on Sunday, there may well have been good reason for this split in responsibility in the past. However, we have to accept the fact that Jamaica has grown significantly, requiring consistent upgrading and modernisation of public infrastructure.

The NWA already has a mandate to build and maintain a reliable, safe and efficient main road network and flood control system with the aim of protecting life and property, and facilitating the efficient movement of people, goods, and services.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in recent weeks, has stated the Government’s intention to review the role and functions of the NWA because the agency is not sufficiently equipped to manage the current road crisis. The review, he said, will lead to either the creation of an additional unit or expansion of the NWA.

Our view, though, is that there is no need for a new unit. The NWA, we believe, should be provided with adequate resources and the requisite autonomy to take charge of all our roads. And there should be built-in mechanisms to ensure accountability and transparency.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel.