People's Report

Gaping holes: potential death traps along Molynes Road

Carlton A. Gordon, Molynes
Roadcarltongor@gmail.com

Vision-impaired persons and those unfamiliar with Molynes Road should avoid walking on the eastbound sidewalk (travelling towards Half-Way Tree) at the Seaward Drive-Molynes Road-Toronto Avenue intersection (near Harillal's Hardware) and the bus stop near the Cyril Place intersection with Molynes Road.

This because of multiple gaping holes and open manholes in the sidewalk. See accompanying photo of the nearby Tamarind Grove community.

Citizens have described the holes as 'murder' - manslaughter, at least - waiting to happen. They certainly represent a series of death traps for all pedestrians traversing the area - especially for children, strangers to the community, and the visually impaired, whether it's night or day. Definitely, a candidate for immediate JDIP action.


Still no 'free' birth certificate from RGD

Deidre Wright, Catherine Hall, Montego Bay
ddownswell@hotmail.com

I wish to express my problem with the Registrar General's Department (RGD). My child was born on August 28, 2010 at a private hospital. Thanks to my health coverage, on August 29 the bedside registration was done.

At that time I was told that I would receive a free copy of the birth certificate within six to eight weeks and I should pay $350 for delivery. After numerous phone calls from November 2010, I still did not receive the birth certificate. I was told on numerous occasions that it is waiting to be approved,

After it was approved, I was told it needs to be printed. Whenever I ask to speak with a supervisor, I am put on hold for long periods and then told that the supervisor is not available for calls. Up to March 24, I still did not receive the birth certificate, so I decided to apply online and paid for the seven-day service and a extra copy. When I queried the receipt number of my application online, I was told that application was not received. When I queried the receipt number of the free copy, I was told that it was waiting to be dispatched! On April 6, 2011, I received an email that the birth certificate has been dispatched and I will receive it by courier. I had to go to the RGD office in Montego Bay to pick up the package and, to my disappointment, it only had inside one birth certificate. This is clearly stating to me that I had to pay for the so-called free copy before I could receive it. I have still not received the seven-day service application with the extra copy.

Can CEO Mrs Patricia Holness please tell me what is going on with RGD? Is it that there is no free copy for births in the private hospital? In that case, they need to inform the patients so as not to waste time waiting for nothing.

I need some answers.

Garbage collection stinks in H View

Rae Parchment, Harbour View, St Andrew
rae_parchment@hotmail.com

I thought the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) was paid to collect residential garbage/refuse and optionally contracted to collect commercial garbage.

Well, the residents of Harbour View, on a good month, have their garbage collected once. The vendors at the RBTT, it seems, have their garbage collected daily by the NSWMA trucks.

So when will they collect from the residents, or is that not on the NSWMA's priority list? The KSAC, or whoever actually pays the subvention, should stop paying for work not done and stop cheating the residents.

Replace those road signs in Passage Fort Housing Scheme

Vernal L. Rodgers, Gregory Park, Portmore
Concerned Citizen

The Passage Fort Housing Scheme is very much in need of road signs and road markings. The street signs have been destroyed by accidents, cut down, or have fallen as a result of being corroded by the elements. The signs need to be urgently replaced.

Using the traditional galvanised material may prove extremely challenging financially in these times. I, therefore, suggest that an alliance be forged between certain homeowners in the community and the municipal authorities. The alliance should be between owners of corner lots and the municipality to allow the names of the corridor to be painted on the fences of the homes' walls.

Certain conditions governing the maintenance of the name on the minor and major corridors should be painted on the walls. One of the conditions should be that the municipality repaints the names periodically - say, every three years, and the householders would, in turn, undertake not to overpaint the name when they are repainting their fences.

The painting of the name should be done using light-reflecting material. This would allow the names to be visible at nights. Using this method of placing road signs will eliminate the need for pipes and aluminium sheets. The name of the corridor could also be painted on the kerbs.

Identifying roads in Passage Fort Housing Scheme is really challenging, both for people who are new to the area and even for many who have been living there for a long time. The need to replace the signs along the corridor has long been recognised and now requires urgent attention.

Fungus-infected hedge at Planning Institute of Jamaica

For more than a year I have noticed that the hedge in front of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is infected by some kind of fungus. The hedge appears to be repeatedly cut to minimise the fungus, but it is now dying in certain areas.

Besides the fact the hedging takes up almost half the sidewalk in some areas, making it almost impossible to avoid walking against it, I have seen young children holding on to and picking the flowers on this hedge.

I am sure that eventually they will place their hands on their faces or even in their mouths, transferring whatever fungus to their person. The nature or effect of this fungus to human beings is unknown, but I think something should be done urgently about what now seems to be a public nuisance.

I hope that with some exposure in The Gleaner, the PIOJ will ensure that something is done about the fungus.