State Minister in the Ministry of Transport and Works, Richard Azan has brokered an agreement between China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Limited and truckers, over the hauling of material for the US65 – million dollar Palisadoes Shoreline Protection and Rehabilitation Project.
The agreement was reached this afternoon and came after a series of meetings, involving Chief Executive Officer of the National Works Agency, E.G. Hunter, the truckers, CHEC and suppliers of river shingle. The truckers had withdrawn their services arguing that the rate they were paid for the hauling of the material was too low.
Following the conclusion of two meetings today, which resulted in the settlement, Minister Azan said that he was happy that a suitable agreement had been reached among the parties.
He expressed gratitude to the contractor, the truckers and the suppliers of the material for the spirit of commitment and patriotism that was displayed throughout the discussions.
Minister Azan says while the truckers’ actions have had little impact on the project to date, a continued standoff would have had serious implications not only in terms of the overall costs of the project, but also the timeline for its completion.
The project is expected to be completed in October and will boast among other things, revetments to protect the roadway from high tide and a seawall on the Harbour side of the corridor. The roadway is also being lifted as part of the rehabilitative effort.
