Paying for Irresponsible Acts

Lukong Pius Nyuylime

29 June 2011

Criminal offenders that tamper with the quality of roads in Cameroon and who have hitherto gone unpunished will henceforth be handled within the ambit of the law. Authorities in the Ministry of Public Works have been quite clear on this. According to a decision by the Minister of Public Works, all actions that lead to road degradation will be considered as criminal and handled according to the law.

From every indication, the decision is a veritable trump card, removed by government following the persistent anti-behavioural pattern put up by road users. Whereas enormous resources are being deployed annually, even if some people think they are not enough, to ensure that roads remain in good state, recalcitrant citizens continue with nefarious activities that put everything to question. In spite of the existence of weight control stations, heavy duty trucks continue to overload and fly past as if nothing abnormal were happening.

Some truck drivers think they are not in contradiction with the rules in place so far as they past penalties for overloading. Logical argument it may sound but payment of penalty does not reduce weight which is at the basis of serious road degradation.

Public corporations such as CDE and CAMTEL equally carryout acts that are quite detrimental to the survival of the road. Their technicians will dig out tar in order to install their equipment and after that has been done, the either disappear without repairing the road or their do that roughly. A case in point is on the Mvog-Mbi Mvan road which is used by the Head of State.

A hole dug in front of the MRS fuel filling station remained unrepaired for several months until it was announced the Head of State will soon use the road. Even then, someone hastily rushed there and arranged just part of the hole which quickly deteriorated.

The whole issue has to do with mentality and ignorance maybe. If one doubts this, ask the truck boys. Many are seen pushing or pulling their trucks with the iron break digging out tar, sometimes to the amusement of the owner. Households dump waste at will on well tarred roads completely ignorant of the fact that such refuse have degrading effects on the road.

The decision of the Minister of Public Works seems timely considering that many road projects have been announced in the country. It is in effect, an act of prevention, but this will not go without a price to be paid by perpetrators.

Even those who violate rain gates will be punished by law. Earth roads are equally important, very important indeed for activities in the rural world. Now that the decision has been taken, what remains is its applicability. Though everything will be handled by law, the wish is that culprits be seriously sanctioned.

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