PLP Calls For Minister Neko Grant’s Resignation

By Bradley B. Roberts, Chairman
Progressive Liberal Party

September 13th, 2011

The Progressive Liberal Party finds Minister Neko Grant response to PLP’s press statement of September 6th, 2011, which never saw the light of day in the local media, until the PLP was obliged to purchase ad space in the Nassau Guardian. The Minister’s response was misleading and  insulting to the Bahamian Public, all road users and in particular to the business owners of Blue Hill Road, Market Street and Prince Charles Drive.

The PLP  notes that the Minister has not denied that the Government, the contractor, the consultants, Mott McDonald and the so called Minister’s Traffic Management Committee were obliged to implement its own Traffic Management Consultants Plan. As a result, the Minister has dismally and wretchedly failed to explain why the Government allowed the road contractor, José Corteleone to dig up too many roads at the same time in New Providence resulting in utter chaos and major cost over runs to the project.

Or more importantly, this calamitous situation throughout the streets of New Providence would not have occurred had Minister Grant enforced the implementation of its joint consultant of the IDB and Bahamas Government selected Traffic Management Plan that states in part the following:

Sub-section 7.4

‘The Contractor shall so conduct his operations as to offer the least

possible obstruction and inconvenience to the public and he shall have under construction no greater length or amount of work than he can properly manage at a time with due regards to the rights of the public in maintaining a free flow of traffic.’

Based on this clearly specific mandated guideline, it defies logic why Minister Grant would allow the undertaking tofroad works at the many ‘corridors’ at the same time, which the contractor has  terribly managed, and this action was act of terrorism against New Providence road users; the pain, suffering and frustration imposed upon Bahamians and residents alike, will never be forgotten.

The PLP invites the public to access the Environmental and Social Impact Report by clicking:- ( httphttp://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=1415036 ), which outlines in detail the guidelines for the Traffic Management Master Program, which the contractor, José Corteleone was obliged to follow, including night work to be undertaken at key locations to minimize traffic congestion. The public will recall in an earlier ZNS interview with Minister Grant telling the Bahamian Public that night-work was too expensive resulting in the Contractor failure to fulfill his obligations and contributed to the extensive delay of the project.

Many New Providence roads have been put under a state of siege, in many cases for more than  a year because of Minister Grant failed to insure strict adherence to the guidelines established by his own appointed Consultants;  which was thoughtless and unintelligent.  The cause of action Minister Grant must follow is very clear, he must immediately resign.