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Wally Andersen, Opposition Transportation, Works, Labrador and Aboriginal
Affairs Critic and MHA for Torngat Mountains District, says government plans
to close maintenance depots and lay off 125 workers will have a devastating
impact on the level of maintenance done on roads in the province. "I
brought this issue to the House of Assembly yesterday and the Minister
confirmed his plans to close 13 depots for at least the summer months," said
Andersen. "These depots will be closed in rural areas of the province where
service levels were already so bad that public safety was being compromised.
"When asked a year ago in the House of Assembly about the possible
closure of depots, the Minister of Transportation committed that no depots
would be closed in the province. Now the Minister is cutting all the staff
at these depots and expecting existing sites to cover more than double their
current areas.
"It is impossible for an understaffed crew with little or no knowledge of
the areas to provide an acceptable level of service. With the closure of the
New World Island depot for example, all workers are being laid off and six
employees in Victoria Cove will be expected to maintain 700 km of highway
between Gander Bay, New World Island and Twillingate Island. It is simply
not possible for this small crew to provide safe roads and adequate
maintenance for this large area.
"I am calling on government to commit to keep all 13 depots open, cancel
the planned layoffs and invest in meaningful highway improvements this
summer. It is not acceptable for the Minister to eliminate almost half the
current capacity to conduct summer maintenance and contract out services
when emergencies arise. The people of this province demand quality service
from government year-round to ensure the safety of everyone using the
provincial highway system." |