THE Ministry of Public Works deserves credit for finally looking at what lies beside our roads rather than only at the asphalt.

Georgetown’s shoulders have long been muddy, uneven and pocked with depressions that hold water after every downpour. Anyone who has stepped from a minibus into a puddle knows that this is no small matter.

Compacted crusher-run that lets rain filter through, and verges reshaped so water reaches the drains rather than sitting above them, is sensible, modest engineering. The assurance that no concrete will be cast is welcome in a city already short on permeable ground.

The programme’s quieter ambition is the more important one: Reclaiming public space. For years, road reserves have been treated as free real estate. Derelict vehicles rust on them. Unauthorised shops and structures squat on them.

Stockpiled building materials spill across them. Each is a small act of private appropriation of what belongs to everyone, and together they force pedestrians into traffic and drivers into the middle of the road. If the ministry means what it says about clearing these encumbrances, it will have done more for orderliness than any number of new asphalt strips.

But notices are easy; enforcement is hard. Asking residents, businesses and vehicle owners to remove obstructions voluntarily has been tried before, and the verges are as cluttered as ever.

Unless the request is backed by clear deadlines, consistent enforcement and the political will to confront the well-connected as readily as the vulnerable, the cleared verges will refill within months.

The same goes for the newly firmed shoulders. Left unpoliced, they will become informal car lots, blocking the very drains and entrances the ministry wants kept open. “Parking where appropriate” must be defined, signposted and enforced, or it will mean parking wherever.

Maintenance is the other test. Granular surfaces erode, silt and sink. Drainage outlets clog with litter.

Georgetown sits below sea level and has learned the cost of building without upkeep. Citizens should hear how often these shoulders will be inspected and regraded, and who is accountable when they fail.

There is also the matter of sequence. This is billed as the first phase, with road widening and tree planting to follow, subject to further assessment. Shade trees are a fine idea, but only if planted without crowding drains, utilities or sightlines.

Widening, if it comes, must not simply feed more cars into a city already choking on them. Pedestrians, cyclists and public transport deserve a place in the design, not only motorists seeking a spot to park.

The ministry has also asked for patience during excavation, and for access to be protected. Residents will give it, provided works are completed promptly rather than left half-dug through the rainy season, a pattern all too familiar here.

Extending the programme across Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six is commendable. The promise is a more orderly, accessible city.

The measure of success will be whether a year from now, water drains, pedestrians walk safely, and the public’s verges still belong to the public.