As a resident of the Town of Marsh Harbour and cognisant of the fact that tourism is, and is likely to remain for the foreseeable future, the major source of income for Bahamians (approximately seventy cents out of every dollar), I direct the following questions and comments to the former (FNM) and present (PLP) Governments:
1. Why is the busiest stretch of road which goes from the airport to and through the Town of Marsh Harbour to the ferry docks is also one of the worst roads on Abaco?
I believe it is correct to say that more than 50 per cent of all of the tourists who visit Abaco have to travel on this unsightly and pot holed stretch of road (mostly by taxi) in order to get to their destinations either in the Town of Marsh Harbour or in the Cays (Guana Cay, Man-O-War Cay, Scotland Cay and Elbow Cay). Yet this stretch of road and, indeed, all of the roads in Marsh Harbour, Dundas Town and Murphy Town were last resurfaced (sand seal only) almost 20 years ago.
As a result of the heavy rainfall which Abaco experiences and the fact that during the last 20 years there have been three major hurricanes, it is not surprising that these roads are in such a deplorable condition.
2. Given the poor condition of the roads in Marsh Harbour, Dundas Town and Murphy Town, why did the former government spend thousands of dollars paving a stretch of road that goes from the Earnest Dean Highway (also now riddled with pot holes) to the newly constructed Control Tower at the Marsh Harbour airport with expensive hot mix when it is unlikely that more than ten vehicles per day will ever use this road (if and when the Control Tower becomes operational)?
3. Why did the former government deem it appropriate to have the roads in Cooper’s Town surfaced with expensive hot mix but deemed it unnecessary to even resurface the bad roads throughout Marsh Harbour, Dundas Town and Murphy Town with sand seal?
I am delighted that, in addition to the new roads, the former government also had proper sidewalks built in Cooper’s Town but question why the residents of Marsh Harbour had to pay for the construction of the sidewalks that now exist (used by Bahamians and tourists alike) by having to raise the money themselves?
4. Why did the former government contract to have a road constructed with expensive hot mix (recently completed) from the Marsh Harbour airport to the Sherlin Bootle Highway which by passes the Town of Marsh Harbour and is unlikely, for the foreseeable future, to have one tenth of the volume of traffic as the said road which goes from the airport through the Town of Marsh Harbour to the ferry docks?
5. Why have there been virtually no infrastructural improvements in the Town of Marsh Harbour for the past 10 years and, in particular, the five years during which the former government (which did enjoy the support of the majority of Bahamians in Marsh Harbour) was last in power, notwithstanding that Marsh Harbour is a major centre of commerce and producer of revenue for the country?
6. Why is the present government allowing such a shoddy job to be done for the few small sections of the roads in Marsh Harbour (including the road that goes from the airport to the ferry dock) that are now being repaved?
One section of the road in the Town of Marsh Harbour was recently so poorly resurfaced that after the first heavy rainfall it had to be resurfaced again and now after further rainfall it will have to be redone yet again!
7. When will the new airport terminal be opened by the present government?
Source: Fred Gottlieb
