The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

FOR THE sake of accuracy, the public needs to appreciate that in 2007 this FNM government added to the New Providence Road Improvement programme the strategic 30-inch water main which was to be installed from the RO-plant at Blue Hill to run to the east through Robinson - Marathon-Prince Charles, etc...

This was not in the original NPR Development programme and is the sole cause of the incredible additional costs and in my estimate a fundamental planning mistake.

Surely the shortest distance is always the cheapest? Past Minister of Works, Bradley Roberts stated on a Talk Show that their plan was to locate a RO plant in the eastern district, offered like the one at BEC Blue Hill by a private contractor (no costs to government) and then only have to connect that supply to the main supply, may have been half a mile or less.

Editor: by laying the 30-inch main pipe probably four-six miles across and through some of the most travelled roads where existing pipes are all installed under the road surface found and was the singular cause for the over-spend aggrieved by project mismanagement as much of the trenching work had to be completed by hand.

The costs for the New Providence Road Improvement programme and the water supply improvement for the eastern district went awry and has cost the tax payers nearly $260 million when possibly if the water main was not added in 2007 the cost would probably have been within the previous budget costs.

It is on such performance that governments are judged.

It is not long now....wait for the first news of the call on Easter Monday on Montagu and the election by April 10th.

Government should have consulted rather than being head strong and waste all this money.

W THOMPSON

Nassau,

March 7, 2012.