St. Ann principals complain about falling JPS pole, dangling wires

   

Principals in St. Ann are enraged over dangling high tension wires, which they say pose a life-threatening risk to students and other commuters, along a corridor that leads to a popular school district.

 

Radio Jamaica News understands that more than five weeks post-Hurricane Melissa, the lines, which belong to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), hang dangerously low along the York Castle Drive and Top Road. 

 

The roadway leads to three schools, including Brown's Town High School. 

 

Principal Alfred Thomas expressed frustration over the apparent delay in addressing the matter. 

 

"What seemed to have happened is that there is a palm tree at the Catholic Church that fell during the hurricane and it took down the wires and the pole. Hoping that the authorities will see it as priority, I would have made multiple social media posts, would have tagged the JPS and Flow, I would have sent them direct messages; I would have sent photographs to persons who I know work at both companies. I would have even posted on Twitter and tagged the minister. I mean, we do not want it to be a case where it is the unfortunate happens where it does fall - fall on a student - and then that is when we're going to have the authorities running in and trying to solve the problem," he complained.

 

Raymond Treasure, Principal of York Castle High School, echoed the sentiment, noting that more than 3,000 students are making the dangerous trek daily. 

 

"By now, in my mind, that pole should have been removed. I mean York Castle High has 1,350 students. Brown's Town High, as far as I know, about 1,400. Then there is the primary school next door with over 1,000 and more, with the traffic piling up, students trying to negotiate traffic and poles in order to get where they are going. The rural school buses, about six of them, large buses, pass under those wires every day along with over 50 private buses. I'm saying we need to do something about that now before we have an accident," he demanded. 

 

"I'm calling on the utility companies. From what I can see, it's both power and telecommunications," said Mr. Treasure.