POND ISLAND–Tourism and Economic Affairs Minister Stuart Johnson has issued a called for all shipping containers on the shoulder of main roads, in particular on Sucker Garden Road, the ring road and W.J.A. Nisbeth Road, to be removed as soon as possible.
Calling the situation a “container jungle,” Johnson said in a press statement that the containers posed a safety risk to motorists and pedestrians, and that some vehicles utilise some areas where container jungles exist “for unknown purposes at night.”
Johnson’s statement follows the highlighting of the container problem by this newspaper earlier this week.
He plans to send a letter to the principal importers and shipping companies requesting their assistance to reach out to clients to stop using the roadside as a depot and to get them to commence removal. “We cannot wait until we are closer to the hurricane season to start asking people to remove these containers,” said Johnson.
He intends to seek updates from shipping companies on the progress of their warehouse repairs. While he understands the need for alternatives to stock and offload containers in the post-Hurricane Irma period, there is a “huge increase” of containers along the roadsides. These are an eyesore for the tourism destination, Johnson said.
Repairs to more than 4,000 square metres of critical areas at Port St. Maarten’s cargo facility are completed.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84334-stuart-wants-roadside-containers-removed
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