by JULIE WILSON

UTILITY COMPANIES and home owners will be fined heavily if they dig up roads or sidewalks without consulting with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.

Minister of Public Works Gline Clarke told the MIDWEEK NATION yesterday that stiff penalties would form a major plank of a new Street Works Bill to deal with the situation where motorists "wake up one morning" to find detour signs erected on major road arteries in and out of the City without prior notice.

He said the system of fines was still being worked out and the draft would be presented to Cabinet shortly.

Blocked drains

Apart from roadworks, it would also address blocked drains caused by people mixing concrete in the road, and building homes in water courses.

Clarke said he hoped this would bring some order to the current "disorderly situation".

"We find that across the country roads were being dug up but not reinstated and they [utility companies] do not notify anybody.

"Sometimes we do not know that a road is cut unless a constituent cries out. I made the point a couple weeks ago that everybody wants to do as they like," he added.

The minister said the current law provided for utility companies to dig up the roads in the event of an emergency, but said there was a need for greater public relations in the event that works programmes went off schedule.

He also called for them to do more of their work at night to minimise traffic congestion.

juliewilson@nationnews.com