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Opposition Leader Gerry Reid says the response by the Department of
Transportation and Works to the cleanup of the recent snowstorm in the
province is unacceptable. Reid says government should keep the roads cleared
overnight during snowstorms and ensure every available piece of equipment is
used to re-open sections of the Trans Canada Highway once they have been
closed. Sections of the Trans Canada Highway on the Avalon Peninsula have
been impassible since Wednesday night. Transportation and Works Minister
Trevor Taylor confirmed that highways staff are not working through the
night, even when snow is falling. As a result, several cars went off the
road over the past 48 hours and snowdrifts have blocked the highway to
vehicle traffic.
"It is unacceptable to have a portion of the Trans Canada Highway closed
for over 24 hours," said Mr. Reid. "This is not a secondary road, this is
the main highway in the province. Government should be paying highways
employees to work through the night to ensure roads are clear and highways
are open in the province. Since yesterday morning, the weather has improved
dramatically and I find it difficult to understand why the highway is still
closed.
"The upcoming budget is approaching and I hope Minister Taylor will
evaluate this situation and make improvements. It isn’t acceptable to save
money on highway maintenance, while at the same time sacrificing the safety
of the people of the province who use our roads on a daily basis. This is
obviously a problem that needs to be addressed and I am hopeful that
government will realize this fact immediately."
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