– the second such occurrence in two weeks
– residents burn tyres in protest
ANGRY residents of North East La Penitence, Albouystown and contiguous areas resorted last evening to burning tyres and other materials after a car with three occupants careened off the Sussex Street bridge and into the canal that runs east along Cemetery Road. This is the third such accident to have occurred on the bridge in the space of three months. The most recent prior to this one occurred sometime last week.
Residents said that the car in last evening’s mishap was coming at moderate speed, and the driver began applying breaks as he approached the bridge. He nevertheless had difficulty navigating the potholes on the bridge, some of which are impossible to avoid, and his car slipped off the structure and into the canal turning turtle in the process.
One man who refused to give his name told the Guyana Chronicle that he assisted in getting the people out of the vehicle. He said that when he approached the car, a woman was making her way out of the trench, and she indicated that two other persons — the driver and a teenager — were still trapped in the vehicle.
The man said that he sustained injury trying to rescue the other passengers from the submerged vehicle. They were fortunately all saved, and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital by public-spirited citizens.
The bridge over the Sussex Street canal has been without a rail for the past three years, leaving motorists and other road users to the mercy of the almost two-metre-deep canal whenever they miss the bridge. To compound a bad situation, the bridge is littered with huge potholes, making it compulsory for motorists to navigate passage with extreme care. Many have avoided falling off the bridge by mere inches.
Residents are frustrated at the outright failure of the powers that be to address the situation, even though it has existed for quite some time. However, when this publication asked the residents if they had ever conveyed their concerns to the authorities, several of them responded positively, while several responded negatively.
When the Chronicle visited the scene last evening, a sizeable crowd had already gathered, and police were in the area directing traffic away from the bridge, as a build-up had already caused a traffic bottle neck. Huge poles could be seen sticking out of the pot holes on the bridge, towering into the air. The bridge had also been cordoned off with caution tape.
Last evening, efforts to contact Public Works Minister Robeson Benn and City Mayor Hamilton Green to ascertain which agency had responsibility for the bridge proved futile. The Public Works Ministry is responsible for the maintenance of all public roads and bridges, while the Mayor and City Council has responsibility for bridges and certain roads that fall within its jurisdiction.