One Road Authority policy framework approved

The Government is set to begin phase one of the implementation of Jamaica’s One Road Authority (ORA), following Cabinet’s approval of the policy framework for the creation of the executive agency, which will regulate road performance and standards across the island, while directly implementing works on national main roads.

The approval mandates a two-phase pathway for the implementation of the ORA, which will operate under the Works portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development.

“We have a 90-day deadline to set up an enabling framework within the Ministry to start operational design, outline legislative and regulatory changes that need to be made and take a look at core instruments such as the designation criteria and Jamaican National Road Register structure,” Minister with Responsibility for Works,Robert Morgan, disclosed during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew.

He explained that following the 90 days, ORA will go back to Cabinet to get approval for these mechanisms and any legal amendments that will be required.

Once these approvals are secured, phase two of the ORA implementation may commence. This is expected to last between three to 24 months.

“It will include declaring initial national roads under the approved criteria, publishing the interim road register and start harmonising relevant legislation and maturing management systems data and performance maintenance systems,” Morgan outlined.

He pointed out that alongside the ORA policy framework, Cabinet also approved the development of the Jamaica Road Designation framework, and the Jamaica Road Register.

“We are already in the process of creating the Jamaica Road Register website where every Jamaican will have access to a list of all roads, the quality of the road and who is responsible for your road… and, ultimately, when will your road be repaired… and if it has been repaired, who repaired it; what was the value of the repair,” he outlined.

The Register will also allow citizens to submit questions and complaints regarding their roads.

Meanwhile, the Works Minister noted that the Road Designation framework will determine how roads are designated – whether they are main roads, farm roads or parish council roads.

“Cabinet has directed that the ministry begin implementation immediately and should return within 90 days with recommended mechanisms and the necessary legislative and regulatory amendments, as well as to urgently begin consultations with stakeholders across a wide cross-section of interest groups, including parish councils, agricultural interests, community members and civil society,” he stated.

Morgan emphasised that ORA will fulfil four main objects; the first is to set and enforce a single standard for road works across the island, ensuring quality is consistent and roads are durable.

The second objective is to strengthen quality assurance and compliance monitoring so that contractors and executing entities are held accountable for road standard requirements.

ORA’s third goal will be to introduce stronger performance reporting so that the public can see what is planned, what is delivered and what standards are being met.

“Fourth, for national main roads, ORA will bring discipline in planning, procurement, contract management and maintenance programming so that we move away from repeating emergency patching every year and have a structured national programme for road maintenance and rehabilitation,” Mr. Morgan outlined.

He emphasised that for years, Jamaicans have experienced uneven road quality, slow follow-through on repairs and unsatisfactory repair quality.

The Minister explained that one of the root causes of this is fragmentation, whereby many different entities manage roads across the island and there are different standards across these entities.

“There are also different quality assurance practices and approaches and in many cases the public is left with one simple question, ‘who is responsible for my road?’ When accountability is unclear, standards can be inconsistent and you can get short-lived repairs which ends up in repeated patching and poor value for money,” Morgan outlined.

He emphasised that the establishment of the ORA will address these issues by establishing clear responsibility and reducing runarounds when problems arise.

“This is about making road repair and maintenance more predictable and accountable,” the Works Minister affirmed.

- JIS News

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