And a different kind of oil, known as bitumen, or tar, was going down today in the Belama Phase four area.  It’s the ongoing testing of new equipment acquired for the city council as part of the municipal drainage project. 10 days ago, we showed you  the city council putting down the first layer of asphalt on Link road.  Today, as they put down the final layer, two city councillors were beaming about the promise contained in their first success:…

Phillip Willoughby - City Councillor
"We are doing the second coat to seal what we coated last week, so this is the first street since about I believe late 80s early 90s I believe the city council has paved its first street and it's a momentous occasion, it's historic. With that in mind we say again this is what the Belize City residence has to look forward to as we embark on tackling one street at a time."

Jules Vasquez
"What I don't understand, you all are going two directions at one because the mayor he believes only in concrete streets but now you all are doing what I guess would be called chip and seal. So I'm not understanding what really is the direction of the council?"

Phillip Willoughby
"Well it's two fold. Those heavily traversed streets will be concreted to give us longer usage and longer life."

Jules Vasquez
"Yes it's a lower grade but I'm saying that instead of the mayor having embarked on this monomaniacal quest to pave so many cement streets might the money not have been more judiciously spent if you say boy lets pave x, y, z with concrete but a, b and c we can do them with a lighter grade such as right in my work neighbourhood - Plues Street, West Street, George Street, there aren't heavily trafficked streets but they are all concreted."

Phillip Willoughby
"They aren't heavily trafficked streets but look at the conditions in particularly the rainy season. When the rain comes you know these streets are inundated with water for long periods of time."

Dean Samuels - Deputy Mayor
"A lot of people personally is not looking for their street to be concreted, a lot of people just want to be able to come out of their yards in the rainy time, people just want the quality of life. Presently as we speak we are doing some total rehabilitation of streets in the Rio Bravo crescent area, we'll be doing the entire block. We'll be doing streets like Tapir, Lionel Tillet, Price Street, all these streets within that cul-de-sac will be upgraded - we will be continuing with our tar work, so no if or but these streets will be tar."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you have a programme of what streets will get immediate attention?"

Phillip Willoughby
"Yes we do but first of all, all the newly acquired assets has to be handed over to the city first. So that is in motion, I believe our last PSE will be next week Thursday and we'll be finalizing all the details leading up to the handing over. So we believe that will be shortly and it's just now for us to take off and there is no turning back Jules."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay now you accept that you were advertising as an asphalt truck is not an asphalt truck and you were falsely advertising?"

Phillip Willoughby
"It's a bitumen truck, none the less I won't dispute technicalities with name of a particular vehicle. Our point is sir is that we are going to improve and impact the quality of life for the residence of Belize City with these trucks."

Work on the street finished at 5:00 this evening. There’s no date currently set for when the equipment will be handed over to the city council.