Four companies will embark on a rehabilitation programme to fix Barbados’ road network.
Minister of Transport and Works Michael Lashley, speaking to moderator David Ellis on Starcom Network’s call-in programme Down To Brass Tacks, on Friday named the private sector companies as Rayside, C. O. Williams, Brathwaite Construction and Infra Inc. and said that work would start as soon as the contracts were signed.
The minister was speaking against a background of complaints by motorists and Barbadians in general about the poor state of the roads, which has been made worse by the recent rains.
Lashley said that money was available through a loan from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and the final details of the contracts were being worked out so that “we can stick within the corners of the Financial And Audit Act . . . . Otherwise the work would have been started”.
He said once money was borrowed from international institutions, contracts had to be cleared by the chambers of the Attorney General. He added that the projects should start within a couple of weeks.
He said the firms were contacted so they would be ready to hit the ground when everything was signed off.
Lashley said he favoured private sector partnership programmes but the Government would have to be tied into an agreement that would see the private contractor maintaining the road for five to ten years.
The minister said the private sector was also part of the mill and pave programme because the ministry could not do it alone.
On the issue of the quality of the roads, the minister said standards were set by the Chief Technical Officer of the Minister of Transport and Works.
“I have full confidence in those standards but I believe if we could strengthen the mechanism of monitoring when the construction is taking place, I don’t have an issue with that,” he said. (JS)