Written By Leroy Smith
AFTER much consideration, there has been a conscious move to restrict the movement of heavy-duty vehicles along the East Bank Public Road from 7 to 9 AM and 3:00 to 5:00 PM on weekdays, which are also the rush hour periods.

The arrangement takes effect from today. However, it is not clear if due to the fact that today is a national holiday there would be some flexibility, given the known fact of light traffic on the country’s roadways on holidays.

The vehicles that are restricted from traversing the East Bank corridor between 7 to 9 in the mornings and 3 to 5 in the afternoons are lorries, container trucks, tractors and trailers.

The police in a press release last week informed that the arrangement was to facilitate the free flow of traffic, ease the congestion and allow the on-going road expansion along the East Bank Demerara public road to progress smoothly.

This is not the first time that the police force traffic department has issued such a directive to certain categories of motorists using the road. However, after a while, without any public announcement, the same class of vehicles which had their movement restricted during a certain period were allowed to resume usage of the roadway during the specific period.

However, despite the road expansion being carried out on both the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara public roads, the restriction was given only to the identified class of vehicles traversing the East Bank corridor.

EAST BANK TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Contacted yesterday afternoon, acting Traffic Chief Kevin Adonis explained that the restriction was necessary only for the East Bank public road, because it was determined that the traffic congestion along that corridor was overbearing.

He said that unlike the East Coast Demerara, which has the railway embankment roadway as the alternative route for motorists, the East Bank Demerara has only one road which has to accommodate traffic heading south and north.

Adonis would not say for how long the arrangement would be in place, but pointed out that the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department would be upholding the arrangement until further notice.

NO PROSECUTION
The traffic chief said that there will not be any prosecution of those who breach the temporary restriction. He pointed out however that those who breach the regulation and attempt to operate their vehicles would be pulled off the road and released when they could travel in accordance with the new schedule.