St Thomas - Jamaica's forgotten cousin

Published in the Jamaica Gleaner: Tuesday | August 7, 2007

Arthur Green, Gleaner Writer

As the people of Western St. Thomas look forward to another election, there are many questions on their lips.

The constituency, which encompasses over 53 districts/communities spans the entire corridor from 10 miles (Bull Bay) taking in all of the St. Thomas main road to the Morant Bay round-about at the Red Hills Cemetery and all of the coastline to the town square to the south. It continues northward to Seaforth and the Serge Island lands, up to Cedar Valley, Trinityville and includes sections of the Blue Mountain range.

Given the wide area the constituency covers, its constituents are invariably very diverse, they include many unemployed, a large portion of unskilled youths, along with peasants and itinerant farmers.

Sections of the constituency have pockets of returning residents, who have come home to settle, while in the major towns there are scores of peddlers selling whatever they can find buyers for.

Transport system

Like many other growing communities across the length and breath of the island there is a large contingent of taxi operators on whose services the travelling public have come to rely, especially in the absence of any organised transport system.

Generally, those who use the roads regularly will tell you the conditions leave much to be desired.

Communities such as Judgement, Mt. Vernon, Bethel Gap, Sommerset and Hillside have little to talk about when roads are mentioned.

Residents who have for years been void of piped water have become so weary about the subject, many will not even entertain a discussion.

The constituency is significantly rural in nature and has a large number of unemployed persons some of whom are professionals, who cannot find employment.

Cecil Thompson of Cedar Valley points to untapped potential, which he claims is lying idly by with lands not being put to productive use.

Mr. Thompson, who is a member of the Water and Pig Association in the parish, laments the lack of production caused by the closure of many factories, all of which, at one time gave the parish some respectability.

He further laments that the place where he calls home is now the least recognised, and widely referred to, as the most backward of all the 14 parishes.

Over the last three to four years, the bridge that once connected the Albion west side to the Poor Man's Corner east side - commonly called the Yallahs fording as a result of the large crater of space that has been formed - forcing everyone using that section of the parish to use the river bed, has not been replaced after its destruction over three years ago. The bridge was replaced following an earlier flood, but poor construction led to its demise once again. This, to many constituents, is an untenable situation and deserves urgent attention.

There are other concerns as well. For instance; the Yallahs Post Office has been in disrepair for many years; the Yallahs market is not in operation; the coastline along the White Horses to Rossel road is being eroded and needs safeguards; extensive river training is needed for the Yallahs River; the road network in the constituency is in need of improvement; piped water continues to be a major concern to many; the cry is getting louder for employment opportunities; public transportation is poor; public utilities providers continue to treat residents with scant regard, especially in the aftermath of natural disasters; and crime is slowly becoming a menace.