Following recent pleas from residents of Pole Yard, Arnos Vale for there to be an installation of street lights in the area, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has addressed the issue.
The Prime Minister while speaking on WEFM’s Issue At Hand program said that he thought it was reasonable that those residing in the area would want adequate lighting but noted that the St. Vincent Electricity Service (VINLEC) had been hesitant to have street lights installed due to the Government’s plan to have the residents moved in the near future.
“They never gave persons connections and so on and I said but if the people are there for a length of time why don’t you give them connection, you know what I mean? But I think what they are talking about now is what you may call street lighting or community lighting. That should be corrected, but in fairness to VINLEC, I think they were saying–well listen they didn’t want to do the investment there because we are moving them, move the persons there,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister said that while the search for land to relocate the Pole Yard residents to has not been smooth sailing there are still plans in place have the move happen.
“The Chief Surveyor is still looking for land, there are one or two places which we can—I thought we were going to get a piece [of land] in the West St. George to put a significant number and then said there are some problems with the drainage—so we are looking at different places, that’s the reality, but I intend for it to be done,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that he would like to see the relocation of the Pole Yard residents happen as the Acute Referral Hospital in Arnos Vale is being built.
