The Gouves Town Council has voted to investigate the possibility of initiating a duty tax on the numerous construction companies seeking a permit to dig the township’s streets at different times to lay pipes or optical fiber cables etc.

Council members said it has been known for the same contractor to dig the same street three different times, or for three different companies to dig the same street at different times.

“They could easily coordinate, dig once and lay their wares next to each other,” several councilmen agreed. “A duty tax would give them the incentive to plan ahead.”