The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) will assume responsibility for reinstating roads following utility works by June, according to Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas.

Speaking on Pointe FM’s Taking Stock programme, Nicholas said the move is intended to address what he described as a long-standing and deeply entrenched problem involving repeated road damage caused by utility excavation and poor coordination between agencies.

Nicholas told listeners that APUA will be required to restore roads to an acceptable standard after completing underground works, rather than leaving the task to the Public Works Department after the fact.

He said the change is aimed at ending a cycle in which roads are repaired or resurfaced, only to be dug up again shortly afterward to accommodate water or utility repairs, resulting in premature deterioration and repeated costs to the state.

Nicholas described the issue as a decades-old practice that has negatively affected road quality across the country and said the new approach will force higher standards and greater accountability.

He indicated that clearer coordination and defined responsibility are necessary if roads are to achieve a longer service life and reduce inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians.

The minister did not outline enforcement mechanisms but said the policy shift represents a deliberate effort to correct systemic failures that have persisted for generations.

WATCH VIDEO
Utilities Minister Melford Nicholas outlines the plan for APUA to take responsibility for road reinstatement during the Taking Stock programme on Pointe FM.