Fix Hiritano, Trans highways

The National Letters

HAVING travelled on many occasions along the Hiritano and Trans Highway from Port Moresby to Kerema, I wonder when the MPs from Central and Gulf will secure adequate funding from the National Government or engage reliable contractors to fix the deteriorating national roads.
The worst sections are:

  • 9-Mile in NCD to the Vanapa bridge in Central;
  • Bereina junction to Apanaipi Bridge in Central – bordering Gulf; and,
  • Epo (once rubber plantation) to Kerema town in Gulf.

What used to be a 10 minutes drive from 9-Mile to Laloki Bridge (border of NCD and Central), can now take up to about half an hour when traffic is busy.
Laloki Bridge to Vanapa, which used to be an hour’s drive, at the moment takes three hours.
You can however relax and enjoy the ride thereafter from Vanapa Bridge to Bereina junction in Central. However, it’s another night mare just to travel from there to Apanaipi Bridge.
A three and a half hours ride from Port Moresby to Bereina now takes up to five hours due to the extremely poor condition of the Hiritano highway.
I remember very well when the Trans Highway was newly built, it would normally take about an hour and a half ride from Bereina junction to Apanaipi Bridge.
Now you can become really sore and sick especially after travelling for almost three hours during dry weather and perhaps more in wet conditions.
Otherwise, you would at least have some relief or comfort travelling from Malalaua Station but only to Epo before experiencing yet another rough ride into the most famous and sung about Tasol Kerema – yu no save; you yet kam na lukim – K-Town!’
Given this current situation, you can image how painful it is to travel on this extremely worst road condition from Port Moresby to Apainai in Central and all the way to K-Town in Gulf.
The five and a half hours of normal travel time from Port Moresby to Kerema now takes up to almost eight or more long and tiring hours of travel.
Someone jokingly said travelling from Kerema to Port Moresby was like travelling a very long way from the other side of the planet in maybe USA to a very remote place in PNG.
In case you don’t believe what I’ve stated; just leave the comfort of your private or VIP vehicles and get on an overloaded PMV to experience the cry of the silent majority.
Please do think about the poor mothers and their babies including the old and sick people who have to put up with all the pain of travelling the Hiritano highway in Central and Trans highway in Gulf.
I appeal to our good members of parliament from Kairuku-Hiri, Kerema, Kikori and governors for Central and Gulf, whose people frequently use the Hiritano and Trans to consider this issue seriously and have it properly addressed for the benefit of everyone.
Please minimise your unnecessary spending on minority groups including excessive funding for sporting activities and put to good use the funds where the delivery of goods and services can benefit generally everyone regardless.

Medo Ace,
Concerned Citizen – Route 600