President Ali warns East Bank road contractor over poor management
President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Sunday issued a stern warning to the contractor and consultant working on the East Bank Public Road project, over what he described as poor contract management and an unacceptable lack of progress.
During a meeting with the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), Sheladia Associates Inc., engineers, and members of a newly formed traffic management team, the President expressed clear frustration with the ongoing mismanagement of the project.
“I have had cause to meet with this contracting consultant on more than one occasion. And it is clear to me that enough effort is not placed in the contract management and the workflow plan. And as a result, you are causing tremendous hardship on the people who are using this roadway. And I am not going to tolerate it anymore,” President Ali declared.
The Head of State made it clear that this was the final time he intended to speak on the matter, emphasizing that both the consultant and engineers from the Ministry of Public Works were equally to blame for the ongoing issues. He criticized the practice of opening multiple sections of the road at once, instead of completing smaller portions to ease traffic congestion and disruption.
Dr. Ali further warned that if the contractor fails to correct the situation, the Attorney General will be instructed to review the terms of the contract and take the necessary action.
“This is the last time I intend to speak to the contractor and consultant,” the President said. “Because the consultant is equally to be blamed, as well as the site engineer from Public Works. If the contractor can’t get it right, I’m going to ask the AG to examine the terms of the contract and have you dealt with.”
The President also expressed disappointment over the lack of night work, saying he personally visited the site between 1:00 and 2:30 a.m. and found that “hardly anyone was working.” He called on the contractor to increase machinery and manpower to accelerate completion and reduce inconvenience to commuters.
To address the situation, Dr. Ali brought together key stakeholders — including the Commissioner of Police, the Traffic Chief, the Coast Guard, and officials from the Ministry of Public Works — to implement a permanent traffic management system supported by drone monitoring.
He stressed that there must be a clear and coordinated workflow plan, daily communication with traffic control teams, and an early warning system to respond swiftly to congestion or equipment breakdowns.
“Liquidated damages will be applied across the board — consultant, contractors, and everybody,” the President warned. “It is absolutely clear that you have to put more machinery and more human capital to accelerate this work.”
Dr. Ali concluded by reminding those gathered that the inconvenience being caused to commuters is unacceptable and that his administration will not tolerate continued mismanagement of the project.
