23712: (discuss) lyall: new regulation of the mines (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: J.David Lyall <postmaster@lyalls.net>

For the past few weeks haitian television has been running public
service announcements about the big dump trucks. We call them Macks
cause most of them are Mack brand. Footage of the big dumps racing up
and down route de kenscoff, passing on the one and a half lane road,
crashing into houses and cars was featured. Anyone who as ever driven
that route up from PVille will know the terror of those trucks on
that route.

Turns out that they have closed the 'sab', the mine, at LaBoule. It
is a huge dirt mine in back of the old Barbancourt works. Five mines
have been designated to supply the limestone needs of la ville. One
of them is by Morne Cabrit. One is above kenscoff, around the
orphanage. Now, that sounds strange, but apparently that higher one
will be for local use. They hope. There is talk of allowing only the
smaller dump trucks up there as well. The Mitsu Canter size.

Where are the other three mines? Dunno. I know that there is a big
one in back of Kafou Fe, but that could be undermining the morne as
well.

The erosion danger of these uncontrolled mines is the reason that
they are giving. The danger of the trucks on narrow steep roads is of
greater import to the many people living beside these roads. Perhaps
some day the police will begin actual safety inspections of vehicles.
This happened in the past. The past 15 years has seen the inspection
sticker turn into a commodity with a price. Inspection had nothing to
do with it, you just pay the racketeer at the bureau and get the
sticker.

You couldn't even see the actual employees at the inspection
stations, only the racketeers outside the door. That is the way most
government bureaus have worked the past few years, for birth
certificates and  marriage licenses to my personal knowledge.

So last night tele ginen had footage of protesters who worked at the
mine at LaBoule. A half dozen people put on a good show of vociferous
protesting at the closing of the mine. More people than that have
been killed by crashing trucks on the route in the past year. Some
road closing manifestations have happened after trucks fell on
houses. They say that attempts to close the mine at La Boule have
been made in the  past but manifestations by the truck drivers caused
them to be abandoned. Yesterday the Brasilians were stationed at the
entrance to route Kenscoff, probably to prevent trucks from mounting
la morne.

So, that is  one piece of good news among the disaster of our
political life. Be nice if a few tens of thousands of people from
BelAir and La Saline could be put to work planting trees and cleaning
drainage ditches tho.

-- 
J. David Lyall
http://www.lyalls.net/