I wish to commend the Government for its intense infrastructural development programme across the country. From the outset, I am quite aware that with so many demands the needs of every community cannot be met immediately. However, I wish to highlight a few areas which I hope the authorities will take note of.
Over the past few years I have observed the massive infrastructural work which has been underway in the community of Buxton, along with a number of other villages along the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara. With specific regard to Buxton however, I have observed a roadway being constructed parallel to Company road and separated by the main drainage canal of that village, from the public road to the railway embankment.
A quick look at this construction will obviously make our Drainage & Irrigation officials quiver, as this project has seriously undermined the stability of that dam that the road is being built upon, which is responsible for supporting the eastern side of that drainage canal.
If this is the situation now, can one imagine the impending consequences when the canal swells and the earthen dam under which the road is constructed becomes severely moistened during the traditional wet season and vehicles, especially trucks traverse on this narrow stretch of road?
At the same time, I must point out the fact that the community of Ann’s Grove and some of the surrounding new housing areas have benefitted from all-weather roads, while those living in Dochfour a bit further in this farming community have never benefitted from a single all-weather road. I truly hope that they have not been forgotten.
A critical roadway is that bordering the University of Guyana and Cummings Lodge and leading to Dennis Street in Sophia. This is the main access from the East Coast to both these very populated communities and vice-versa, yet to term it a roadway might not be fitting with the amount of craters which have developed along this stretch. I am, however, grateful for the bridge which was constructed to access Cummings Lodge from this roadway.
Similarly the street leading from this intersection over into Cummings Lodge, popularly referred to as ‘9th field’, is the only stretch linking the entire community from the eastern side bordered by Industry to the UG compound on the West, hence it is the most traversed.
However, after having completed this narrow street some two years ago, because of the intense traffic by all manner of vehicles and lack of maintenance, it is slowly mirroring the state of the UG access road as afore-mentioned.
Priority should be given here because of their critical importance to these communities. A bit further West along Dennis Street, opposite the Sophia Exhibition centre, contractors cleared the neighbouring canals some months now. I am not sure the logic behind leaving the waste material on the shoulder of the road, which now encroaches on an already narrow and dilapidated stretch due to the erosion taking place in the canal bordering the Congress Place compound.
The only alternative to solve this problem is the relatively costly revetment exercise along the entire stretch, beginning from Lamaha Street at the Vlissingen Road junction, all the way to the end of Dennis Street behind the UG compound.
If not, almost every year sums will have to be expended to maintain this very important stretch of roadway and thousands of citizens will be affected, as is the case currently.
I have also noticed very small basic hindrances which could be addressed along our roadways, but are currently causing a great degree of problems for drivers and, in some cases, lead to accidents. On Sheriff Street heading south, upon approaching the traffic lights at Duncan Street, is a deep pot-hole developing. At the public road and railway embankment junctions of the Ogle Airport access road and a bit further in, the sides are gradually eroding at various points, causing extreme hardship for drivers to navigate, especially during the peak traffic periods. This is not to mention the stretch from the Ogle airport turnoff all the way to the compound of GuySuCo. This section of the road was apparently forgotten when the narrow access road was being repaved to the airport. It appears that those living along this stretch of roadway and all levels of staff at GuySuCo have to suffer the actions of whoever made the decision not to do the entire network.
The same situation exists on the East Bank of Demerara, and while I have noted the situation in the Diamond housing scheme, the same situation also exists at Herstelling. With the exception of one which was done some time ago by the NDC, I cannot recall any of the other streets being resurfaced for many years now. Pathetic attempts by the NDC based at Farm to fill the craters with sand and then tar, and in some cases other materials, usually have a 2-week lifespan. The community ground in which compound the NDC is also housed is likewise in a sad state and, as such, no meaningful activities are being encouraged by those living in the very populated surrounding areas.
Even the East Bank stretch, especially from Diamond to a bit past the DDL compound, chunks of the roadway are missing and, with a sudden drop of 4 to 6 inches in depth, one can only imagine the danger posed to unsuspecting drivers.
Let me conclude by adding the stretch of Mandela Avenue from the DSL junction at Ruimveldt, all the way to the National Culture centre, as it facilitates the flow of a large volume of traffic daily. Just recently, a few meters from the DSL junction heading east, workers cut the roadway to install a drainage tube. To date it has not been sealed and has now added to the traffic woes of commuters and drivers alike. This entire stretch is littered with patches and patches on the patches, and even a few more patches on those patches. A maze of patch work which guarantees a bumpy ride, damage to vehicles, a few accidents along the way from drivers trying to navigate the many patches, and the little potholes developing.
This is not a situation that Minister Robeson Benn should have to personally inspect and address, it should have been noticed by the workers hired and who are being paid to do so, and remedial efforts should be made from the inception, thereby bringing much relief to those affected, and even avoiding a few accidents and improving the flow of traffic, moreso during the peak periods.
In concluding, let me also recognize the recent effort to install sidewalks at many of the busy intersections in the city, which brings a great degree of relief to pedestrians. I wish that this programme will continue and benefit areas all across our country. Such an initiative would also truly assist hundreds, if not thousands, were one to be constructed along the access road in the Diamond/Grove housing area.