-police and other authorities to assist efforts
MINISTER of Public Works, Robeson Benn, along with members of the National Commission on Law and Order (NCLO), on a recent live call-in programme on the National Communications Network (NCN), expressed their concern over the rapid rate at which encumbrances continue to become a fixture on government’s reserves, and access and public roads. Minister Benn said that the encumbrances can be seen almost everywhere and are becoming eyesores.
“Among the items and activities that contribute to the unsightly scene both in the city and its environs are sand, mixing of cement, aggregates on the road, vending stands, shops, builders’ waste, garbage, old vehicles, machine shops, double parking and liming spots,” Minister Benn said.
He said that coupled with these encumbrances, there is also the active and continuous building of permanent structures on the roadways without the permission of the Chief Works Engineer of the Public Works Ministry.
“Violations are constant and these exercises usually occur at weekends when it is felt that authorities are not on the road; in the first instance, on seeing an encumbrance, the local authorities and police ought to react to it…it is the Ministry of Public Works’ responsibility to act on those encumbrances…the law allows for the keeping of the obstruction (whether it is a vehicle, and the auctioning there of, or the seizure of other obstructions with the owners being made to pay fines); outside of areas which are not public roads but access roads, it falls to the NDCs to take action, but it has been a hard role in terms of many of the agencies to get their acts together to cooperate on the issue,” Minister Benn said.
NCLO members who were part of the programme, Mark Bender, Ramesh Sugrim and Taajnauth Jadunauth, all agreed that some of the ongoing occurrences along the reserves and roadways are economic and income earning activities for some persons, nevertheless, the act of encumbrance remains unlawful and places the lives of all road users, including the very persons involved in carrying out the act, at risk.
“The NCLO will continue to speak out about encumbrances…it is a lot of lawlessness as persons are of the belief that they have the right to do so,” Sugrim said.
Members of the NCLO also believe that encumbrances not only violate the law, but most importantly, contribute to traffic congestion, as when they occur along the shoulders of the roads and pavements they force pedestrians to utilise the roads, thereby interfering with sightlines and making it difficult for traffic to move freely.
Minister Benn said that while the law is clear on the steps that his ministry can take, efforts will be increased.
“In 2010 the Ministry of Public Works embarked on a campaign to remove all obstructions from government reserves countrywide, which was met with unwelcome reactions by many who were of the view that the ministry’s actions sought to deprive persons of livelihoods.
Because of the successful execution of this exercise, the massive expansion along several roadways across the country, particularly along sections of the East Bank and East Coast Demerara, can accommodate four-lanes of traffic.