May 29, 2013

Dear Sir,

I read with interest the story in yesterday’s edition, in which some of the residents of Devon Spring Road said they liked Devon Spring Road being reopened, and some said they didn’t.

As the MP for Devonshire East, I worked very hard for five years to try to persuade the Progressive Labour Party Government to re-open that road, with the backing of the residents. My colleague Michael Dunkley, who preceded me as MP for that area, worked similarly. We were unsuccessful until just before the election last year, when the PLP announced that they had awarded a contract to a local firm to do the work needed to allow the road to be reopened. In the event, there wasn’t time before the election for them to get the work done.

Before the election, I made a promise to residents that one of my first orders of business, if I was elected as their MP, would be the reopening of that road. I was elected, I believe with their help. With the able assistance of my colleague the Minister of Works, Trevor Moniz, I made sure that that was a promise that was kept, and kept quickly. I sincerely hope the residents are not now going to change their minds about it and prove once again that old adage that no good deed goes unpunished.

The purpose of this letter, Mr Acting Editor, is to tell the residents of Devon Spring Road that I did note their concerns about the effect of traffic on children playing in the road, and that I have asked Mr Moniz to take the necessary steps with signage and, if necessary, speed bumps to make sure the traffic does not pose a hazard.

ET BOB RICHARDS

One Bermuda Alliance MP for Devonshire East