Transportation Issues: Eastern Villagers Request Meeting with Newly Elected Officials

Residents of villages in the eastern region, including Grand-Sable, Petit-Sable, Bambous-Virieux, Bois-des-Amourettes, and Vieux-Grand-Port, are hoping that their new elected officials will acknowledge and address their longstanding transportation concerns. Armed with signs and banners, community members—including children and village councilors—took to the streets, marching to Petit-Sable to draw attention to the challenges they face.

Ravin Ramphul, a councilor for both Grand-Sable and Petit-Sable, has repeatedly voiced concerns regarding the management of Route 18, which connects Mahébourg to Flacq.

“The situation is worsening day by day. Residents are forced to rush daily to reach school and work on time.

This transportation issue has persisted for many years. We alerted the National Transport Authority (NTA) in hopes of finding a solution before the legislative elections, but there has been no response,” Ramphul stated.

“We are tired of writing letters and going on the radio. We have tried every method we can think of.

Now that the elections are over, we intend to give the newly elected officials some time to address these concerns, but not too much.

We plan to invite them for open discussions. We will be transparent, and we expect them to find a sustainable solution,” he added.

Ramphul recounted a frustrating incident involving a bus driver and conductor of an only partially filled bus who mocked the situation, saying, “Look at what you want.”

The councilor emphasized that passengers sometimes wait over 40 to 50 minutes at bus stops and that drivers frequently fail to adhere to schedules.

“The last bus leaves Mahébourg at 6 PM. On some occasions, drivers drop passengers off in Bel-Air, leaving them to find their own way home.

In the morning, you have to hurry to catch a bus, and sometimes the driver tells you to figure out how to get home,” he lamented.

Ramphul believes that two posts of the National Land Transport Authority should be established—one at the Flacq bus station and another at Mahébourg.

He noted recent deteriorations in service, alleging that some bus owners had changed their strategy upon learning about complaints made to the NTA regarding the Flacq-Mahébourg route.

The representatives from Grand-Sable and Petit-Sable are determined to take action.

“We will demand that bus owners attend a meeting by the end of January 2025 to discuss the various challenges faced by residents over the past five years.

Transportation issues, however, are not the only concerns for the people in these villages,” Ramphul explained.

He pointed to previous efforts aimed at coastal conservation, which included plans to deposit gravel on the beach at Grand-Sable as part of the Macadam Beach project, sponsored by JICA.

Unfortunately, he reported, “That initiative never came to fruition. The sea has washed away all the gravel.”

Additionally, he recalled a project initiated by the Ministry of the Environment in 2020 that proposed a rocky shore protection solution extending 850 meters.

Residents welcomed the plan, believing it would alleviate their worries, but progress halted prematurely, leaving five families still affected by the unfinished work.

The villagers of the eastern region are resolute in their pursuit of dialogue and change, seeking a proactive response from their newly elected representatives to address their transportation and environmental challenges.

Source: Le Mauricien