Roads in bad state: Inhabitants of Beau Bassin and Rose Hill “fed up”

Following construction works for the installation of water pipes in several areas in the region, many of the roads have been left in a very poor condition. In fact, according to several inhabitants of the two towns, not only do they still face water problems in their homes, but the roads are almost "impracticable".

"The roads are causing damage to our vehicles and we don't even know which road to use now because they (authorities and workers) are starting construction works on a new road every few weeks without even completing the works on the previous ones. And we are sick of the dust and debris!" an inhabitant from Père Laval Street in Rose Hill told Weekly.

A notice was delivered to several houses in the area around September 2017 to inform the inhabitants about the construction works which, the notice said, would last until December 2017. However, more than a year later, the inhabitants are still facing the agony of having to avoid holes, piles of rocks and debris while driving. Several stone blocks – taken out from the roads during construction works – have also been stolen and the holes have been left gaping.

"The stone blocks have been piled up in a corner and left there for weeks and weeks, so of course, people were going to steal them. These rocks are used for decoration and construction, and they are quite expensive on the market. They were available on every corner here for people to take," another inhabitant said. "I don't understand why they can't just finish the construction works and tar the road properly before starting work on another road. Right now, almost all the roads in this region have big holes, bumps and debris on them. Where should we drive?"

The inhabitants also deplored the absence of MPs in the region, and the fact that no question has been asked about the state of these roads in parliament. Moreover, according several of them, the authorities have also been informed of the "unbearable" situation on several occasions; however, the roads have not been tarred yet and nothing is being done to solve the problem.

"On top of having to deal with the construction works for the Metro Express project all along the main road in Rose Hill and Beau Bassin, we have to drive through these sh**y roads to get to our home every day too," Mr. Vengtasamy, an inhabitant of Beau Bassin, told Weekly.