Appalling road conditions costly for Cloudy Bay people

By JASON DOM
POOR roads are denying families income and schoolchildren stationery in Cloudy Bay, Central.
Over the past six months conditions have deteriorated so much that a few PMVs operators decided to withdraw their services because they were spending more on repairs and parts than earning from their services.
The result: No earnings from PMV services; no transportation of store goods or garden food and no delivery of school gear and stationery or medicines.
The Magi Highway that runs from Port Moresby to Kopiano Junction and Moreguina and Gamai Junctions is in fair condition but from Ganai to Cloudy Bay it’s simply a rough ride.
The Abau local-level government areas include Bonoado, Apaewa, Segiri, Darava, Oio, Bam and Doma Inland have one aid post and four schools. PMV sevice is now absent there.
The aid post at Segiri village is run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church with one medical officer who basically hands out tablets and dresses wounds.
There are three primary schools and one Tvet school at the electorate.
People can spend a whole day travelling.
According to a local, Brandan Tom, the road from Ganai Junction to Doma was “very risky”.
“I have read in our daily newspapers reports about bad road conditions that were upgraded in other provinces which begs the question, why not us?” Tom said.
“I would like to call on the responsible minister of the
electorate to make a quick response and bring relief to these people,” he said.