Roads should be prioritised

Letters

ROADS ensure development reaches our rural areas.
Services cannot reach our people when there are no roads.
Many people in Papua New Guinea haven’t been accessing services since Independence because there are no roads.
Through roads, services such as education, health and electricity reach the people .
Even today, many people in our rural areas haven’t travelled on a vehicle, ship or an aeroplane.
Some do not understand English and Tok Pisin.
A good example are the people from Rulna in remote Dei, Western Highlands.
Most of them do not feel free to communicate with other people because they do not understand English and Tok Pisin.
Those travelling to Mt Hagen walk for a day to Kotna and catch a PMV to Mt Hagen.
Some who do not have enough money live without store goods such as salt, sugar and lamps or torches for months.
They have trouble transporting the sick because they have to walk a day to reach Kotna.
It is sad.
Some have died along the way.
Rulna is an example of many other areas in the country.
When will government services reach these places?
How is it fair that they only hear about services and development without benefiting from them?
Who is going to help them?
The Government should consider them.
It should prioritise roads and work to build new roads and improve existing ones.
Roads are the key.

Philip Napil,
The Voice of PNG