MCKENZIE

Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Desmond McKenzie, is challenging the National Works Agency (NWA) to produce legal references to refute his position that the telecommunications company Flow cannot carry out any work on Corporate Areas roads without permission from the KSAC.

On Thursday, the KSAC got an order from the Supreme Court which prevents Flow from continuing to dig up the roads in the Corporate Area to lay its cables. The KSAC is contending that Flow needs its permission to do so.

The mayor sent a letter yester-day to Milton Hodelin, acting chief executive officer of the NWA, defending his position and that of the KSAC regarding the court order obtained.

"The decision to go to court was not taken lightly, nor was it the preferred choice. But Flow left us with no option," the mayor said in the letter.

"My main concern now is that the NWA has seen fit tochallenge our decision to take that course of action by suggesting that it has the responsibility for the roads and for any decision taken regarding those roads and, therefore, has a dispute with the KSAC over the issue. "I wish to inform you that we are not acting out of ignorance and that, apparently, the NWA is not cognisant of the laws pertaining to these activities," he said.

Although the court order remains in effect until September when there will be a hearing, the mayor said in the meantime, the KSAC was open to any suggestions from the NWA or Flow which could lead to an amicable resolution of the issue.