“I’m disappointed with the direction the discussion on the “Flyovers” project is taking. It seems as though everyone is focused on the increases in the scope of works resulting in significant cost increases. Everyone has taken the word of George Sidall that there has been a significant increase in the scope of works. I have pointed out on several occasions that the scope of works for the widening section of the contract has not increased significantly as shown on the April 2006 drawings. The increase in cost is as a result either of the increase in cost of the flyovers or an error in the original cost. A significant increase in cost for the flyovers will call into question the feasibility of constructing these structures. Can this stand up to a rigorous cost/benefit analysis. We should soon know the true cost of the flyovers.”
Posted by an Anonymous Commenter of BU
We have our friend, Anonymous, who by his/her writing has hinted that he or she knows a lot more than is being revealed for the moment. The point the commenter is making has to do with the scope of the work which should be reflected in the 3S April Drawings, and used in determining the cost of the Operations Free Flow project. The subsequent change to the cost of the project which has been fed into the government’s propaganda machinery must be evaluated against this background. Our anonymous friend seems to be unequivocally stating that the increase in cost of the project could have resulted from one of two factors or both:
- Flawed costing submitted by 3S on their original proposal to government or
- There has been a significant increase in the cost of the flyovers for whatever reason.
Barbados Underground has tried to get a copy of the April 2006, 3S Drawings but unsuccessful. We know from our sources that several people in Barbados, including civil servants and a few engineers are aware of the truth about the project. The obvious mismanagement of this project, whether we consider the lack of a tendering process, or the suspicion around the latest cost of the project, we know that engineers, like some of the other professionals, usually swear an oath to ensure that the public good is respected and protected. Those engineers in the know about this project have a responsibility to the country to disseminate all relevant information.
If what our friend Anonymous says is accurate, the inference that can be drawn is the Acting Minister of MTW, Mr. Clyde Mascoll, has been given the task to cloak relevant information from the public. Do you recall Mr. Mascoll had little to say about the project when he appeared on the Ellis Sunday programme? The very next day, he contacted a call-in programme to defend the same project, and spoke with Tony Marshall who refused to be intimidated by his argument.
Are we to believe that we have professionals and other Barbadians in the know about this project who would suppress their civic responsibility by allowing this fiasco to be recorded in our history unchallenged? If this happens, it would be an indictment of our educational system that we would for partisan or cowardly reasons remain in the shadows.
We have been told, “a management team headed by Deputy Chief Technical Officer (Operations), Philip Tudor, will monitor the work”. We look forward to hearing from a spokesman from this management team who should be able to speak with authority on the status of the Operations Free Flow project. Barbadians should not be insulted again by having to listen to significant announcements issued by George Sidall of 3S Barbados SRL.
The VOICES of the PEOPLE must be heard!
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