Correctional Officers and PMV Bus Operators have raised concerns about the bad condition of the Bomana Road.
This stretch of road leads to the main prison compound, the Court House and the Female Wing of the Bomana Prison. An estimated two thousand people use this road on a daily basis. This includes the inmates who travel down to the courthouse at Waigani for their court hearings and the families of the correctional officers, who go to school or work in Port Moresby.
The road has deteriorated to a state where it has become impossible for Sedans to use especially during rainy seasons.
PMV Bus Operators and vehicle owners say the bad road condition makes it expensive for them to service their vehicles. And because of this, the passengers are charged a fee of K2 out of Bomana.
The responsibility of maintaining this road falls under either the Member for Moresby North-East or the Minister for Correctional Services.
However, over the last 15 years, there has not been any maintenance work done on this road.
The roads leading into the Female Wing and the Minimum Security Unit of the prison are in similar misery. There are huge craters as deep as 5 centimetres.
Given the bad road network leading into Bomana Prison, it normally takes 10 minutes for warders to bring inmates out of the prison facility and onto the main highway.
National Court Judge, Justice Panuel Mogish has described the road condition as a disgrace and says the road needs urgent attention from those in authority.
