Coffee buyers and road users inthe Morobe Province say bad roads all overthe Morobe province is a reality and is affectingthe lives of people andthe provincial economy.
While efforts are being made to fixthe problem, many areas remainthe same.
Those who do make it through almost always do it with a land cruiser.
Philip Kakatu is a coffee buyer who has travelled all over Morobe and wherever a four-wheel drive can take him.
He blamesthe poor road condition onthe lack of political will inthe past andthe lack of foresight.
A new road linking Lae to Beang where about ten thousand people live was cut throughthe jungle with a bulldozer about two years ago. This is still in a working progress. It hasn’t been graveled nor asthe drainage been constructed.Inthe wet season, this place is cut-off by landslides and thick mud, even a four-wheel drive has difficulty getting through.
River crossings are dangerous duringthe wet season and supplies have to be ferrlied across by people.
While work is slowly happening, rains and changes in wether patterns meanthe maintenance bill on roads like this will continue to remain high.
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