Dear Editor,
It seems that a permit may have been granted or is about to be granted for another supermarket on Well Road. For those who are not aware, Well Road located in Cole Bay is less than 1 km long, and currently has 3 supermarkets.
There are 5 other supermarkets in the immediate surrounding. In addition to that, the poorly maintained Well Road accommodates barber shops, number booths, hair salons, and Jobco Plaza which houses several businesses, several bars & restaurants, auto repairs and sales, a laundry, The Little Well Oasis, a carwash, the Heineken warehouse, the former Montessori school building and private dwellings. Well Road has 5 speed bumps, no sidewalks, running water on parts of the road, and no streetlights.
Yet, it is known to be a busy road which serves as a popular shortcut to take you from Union Road to Simpson Bay. The traffic on Well Road can be challenging as drivers using the road have to manoeuvre to avoid the potholes in the road, pay attention to pedestrians, be aware of patrons at the various bars who choose to stand or even play dominos on the road, make provision for oncoming traffic, while trying to not drop in the ditches on the side of the road, slow down for speed bumps, and be cautious while driving on the wet and slippery parts of the road.
All this, while exercising patience with trailers carrying containers into and out of the Jobco Plaza and the Heineken warehouse and when driving behind a school bus, be prepared to stop at any time to give way to the school children crossing the road.
With all this to deal with on Well Road, it appears that government will be issuing a permit for yet another (Chinese) supermarket on Well Road, right next to an already existing (Chinese) supermarket, with only a concrete wall separating the two.
Some people may see this as an opportunity for healthy competition, which should work out to the benefit of the residents. But those of us who reside in the vicinity know that this will bring about additional traffic in the already congested area.
We do not need a fourth supermarket on Well Road. We are asking government to please look into this matter and, if the permit for the fourth supermarket (Didi Supermarket) has been granted, to please reconsider it. Two supermarkets within 10 meters from one another makes absolutely no sense, and the increased traffic will be of no benefit to the residents in the area.
Fernando R. Clark
