ST MARY, Jamaica— People’s National Party (PNP) Councillor Caretaker, Jouvaughnie Byfield, is calling on the councillor for the Gayle Division of St Mary Western, Jason James and Member of Parliament Robert Montague to urgently address the condition of the Farm Pen to Woodpark road.

In a statement on Tuesday, Byfield described the roadway as deplorable.

“The condition of the thoroughfare is beyond unacceptable. It is in a deplorable state, with trees and bushes overgrown to the extent that they meet in the middle of the roadway, obstructing traffic and making the road nearly impassable,” he said.

The PNP Caretaker further lamented that pedestrians and motorists are at risk when road conditions degrade to such a degree.

“It poses a threat to pedestrians, creating a hideout spot for would-be criminals to ambush them when traversing the area, and motorists are forced to slow down in order to get through the manmade obstacle course. Due to the many obstacles, a drive that should take three minutes by car, takes a good forty-five minutes. This is unacceptable, to say the least,” Byfield explained.

He stated that the MP and councillor are “derelict in their duty to provide reasonable road conditions for the citizens of the constituency” as the main road is traversed by over 2000 people.

“What is sad is that this is the community the Member of Parliament is from; he has therefore abandoned his own. On October 19, 2022, the teacher who was brutally killed in Gayle will be buried in Woodpark. To know that this is the road that we have to traverse to mourn his life, makes the situation worse,” he said.

The caretaker went on to call on Councillor James and MP Montague to work assiduously in granting the people who use the Farm Pen to Woodpark road the courtesy of a safe and unimpeded roadway.