Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry responds to questions from readers about the use of the recently increased gas tax.

Mr Henry, the Eltham View housing scheme roads (which are non-existent) have been in a deplorable condition for too long. These roads are in this state from Mr Bruce Golding was MP, and now Ms Olivia Grange. Eltham View is bordered by the Ensom City and Eltham Park housing schemes. Can you give me a timetable when road work will start?

It is to be appreciated that approximately 60 per cent of the island's main roadways are in very poor condition. The Government inherited a Road Maintenance Master Plan which did not include two-thirds of the roads for which the National Works Agency (NWA) has responsibility. It was estimated that it would take about $9 billion to rehabilitate the bad roads across the island; but subsequent assessments have raised this figure to around $20 billion, inclusive of the NWA roads, parish-council roads, and also farm roads. This revised Road Maintenance Master Plan - a five-year initiative - has been completed and is slated to go to Cabinet soon for approval. It is expected that within another six to eight weeks, the new master plan should come into effect, and this is to be supported by the weigh-scale policy, which is intended to protect the integrity of the rehabilitated roadways from the negative effects of overweight vehicles. Both the cess and the weigh-scale policy were requirements of the funding programme for the master plan, and both are presently on stream.

It must be recognised also, that the housing scheme which the reader speaks of, has long been classified as a responsibility of the local parish council, but as a result of the single road authority focus of the Jamaica Labour Party administration, that approach is about to change. So soon enough, Eltham View's roadways, like those in other housing schemes, will be coming into the national road rehabilitation spotlight.

When can citizens of Hughenden, Kingston 20, expect to have their roads repaired? The situation is deplorable! Over to you Mr Minister.

The roads in Eastern Kingston communities are atrocious. Is there a schedule for the repair of these roads?

We the members of the Havendale/Meadowbrook community would like to know when the roads in the community will be fixed. Some have not been fixed for the past 20 years and are in a deplorable condition.

The revised five-year Road Maintenance Master Plan outlined above, has been developed to bring about broad, general rehabilitation of roads across the island. It is difficult to pinpoint where individual communities will fall within this timetable, as it will be a combination of needs, the extent of usage, and a number of other logistical considerations that will determine the level of priority to be attached to different communities and roadways.

Importantly, though, is that outside of the master plan, a broad programme of patching is presently under way across the island, which is projected to impact on many community roadways, quite likely inclusive of some of those listed above.

Minister Henry, please state how much money is currently in the Road Maintenance Fund and how much the Transport and Works Ministry is expected to collect from the gas tax.

Funding from the recently introduced dedicated portion of the tax on gasolene sales is soon to begin reaching the Road Maintenance Fund. It is very difficult to estimate how much will be realised from the cess per annum, but it must be remembered that the applicable percentage from the overall gasolene tax will be increased over the next few years. Hence, a significantly increased amount is anticipated annually for the next few years.

Will any of the gas tax be used to improve the public transportation system to encourage a reduction in the use of private vehicles and the consumption of petrol?

While the need for further improvement of the public transportation system to further encourage reduction in the use of private vehicles and petrol consumption is very important, it must be recognised that the commitment to the public in respect of the dedicated portion of the cess on fuel is to use the funds solely for infrastructural development - that is, roads, gullies, etc. Hence, any deviation from that commitment would be a violation of the trust that has been engendered, and something which would not be encouraged.

It should, however, be understood that improvements to the road network will impact on travel generally, including improving traffic flow, lowering petrol consumption and improving safety, which will, no doubt, foster less use of private vehicles. In addition, it should be noted that the public transportation service is already being improved from general State funding.

Minister, what safeguard is there that the gas tax will not be entirely used up for general government expenses?

The safeguard in place is the assurance of the Government of the day, that the dedicated aspect of the gas cess will go directly to the Road Maintenance Fund, to be applied only to infrastructural needs. Hence the reason why, for example, the above request for the funding to be used to effect further improvement to the public transportation system to further encourage reduction in the use of private vehicles cannot be granted.