BEFORE the Berbice Bridge was built in 2008, a few property owners in D’Edward Village on the West Bank of Berbice, operated small businesses from their homes adjacent to the main road, which has now become the access road to the Berbice Bridge toll plaza.
Since the completion of the bridge, access to that road by the homeowners parallel to the northern side of the road has been cut-off by the construction of a chain-link fence. This fence effectively caused those small businesses to close, and denied those homeowners the use of the front entrance to their properties. It has also drastically reduced the value of every property along that stretch of roadway. No compensation was ever paid to these homeowners.
During the sensitization-consultation meetings held with the homeowners prior to the construction of the bridge, representatives of the Berbice Bridge Company (BBC), assured the community that a drain and proper sidewalk would be built in front of the those properties to compensate for the loss of the road usage. Indeed, a drain was dug but was never maintained, and the sidewalk was never built.

I have recently taken up residence in D’Edward Village, and our home is situated directly opposite the Berbice Bridge toll plaza, literally a stone’s throw away.
Sometime ago, a gate was installed on the chain-link fence, directly in front of my next-door neighbour, an employee of the BBC. The gate is used almost daily by members of her family and others who are not employed by the BBC.

My daughter goes to CXC lessons three times a week in Hopetown, some distance away, and usually gets home at about 21:00 hrs. Because of real safety concerns of her being molested by some of the boys in our poorly-lit street, I drive out to the junction of the main road to meet her when she arrives at night on the school bus. This task could be avoided and my daughter’s safety assured, if she is allowed access to the locked gate on the chain-linked fence, as the school bus would drop her off within close proximity to allow her to enter our home through our front yard via the gate.
A few weeks ago, I requested a copy of the key from Mr. Samaroo, Chief Executive Officer of the Berbice Bridge Company, and he asked that I put this request in writing. This was done, and about a week later, I received a phone call inviting me to a meeting with the CEO later that afternoon. At first, I was somewhat surprised that a simple request for a copy of a key would require a meeting with the CEO, but I welcomed the opportunity for I wanted to discuss a few projects that the BBC could use to improve their public relations image with the community of D’Edward.
The meeting was later postponed and finally we met one week later, I was then informed that giving my 15-year-old a copy of the key would pose a “security risk” to his company, where large sums of money are in circulation every day, and he was also concerned that “others” may also request copies of the key. Let me make this emphatically clear: Considering the fact that those residing on the other side of the fence can no longer use the front entrance to their properties, every one of them deserve to have copies of that key. But despite my personal assurance that the key, if given, will be used responsibly and only by my daughter on those nights she gets home from lessons, Mr. Samaroo was unmoved, but promised to review his decision within a week.
Not having heard from him by the end of the following week, I again called, only to be told that he needed yet another week to decide whether or not to give a schoolgirl a key that would allow her to use the front gate of her home for her own safety and protection. As the CEO of a major company, this man seems incapable of making simple decisions.

At the meeting I was told that he installed the gate on the fence directly in front of the home of a member of his staff to ensure that she gets to work on time. But even without using the gate, I assure you that this employee can be sitting in her office in less than 10 minutes, walking casually to work from her home next to mine, using the back road we have all been restricted to. It makes me wonder whether Samaroo feels the same concern for other employees of the BBC, who live much further away? And if so, does he provide easy access for them to get to work on time as well? Although he was advised that I have photographic evidence of persons opening the lock on that gate that are not employees of the BBC, Samaroo insists that he only gave copies of the key to three of his employees.

Although being so close to traffic approaching the toll plaza does pose some danger to pedestrians using the gate, this should only be a temporary solution until a sidewalk is constructed. I therefore call upon the Berbice Bridge Company to honour its promise and obligation to the residents of Unity Street, D’Edward Village, and construct a decent sidewalk that would allow them to once again use the front entrance of their own properties, a right that was taken away by the construction of the bridge and the fence.
The Berbice Bridge Company holds the key to better relations with the residents of D’Edward Village, and Mr. Samaroo should be cognizant of this. I intend to work closely with the community to stop littering and to develop a small park with palm trees and benches close to the river overlooking the koker, where school children can study while parents enjoy the refreshing breeze from the Atlantic, and I fully expect the support of the BBC to bring these plans to fruition. With all the money they’re raking in from commuters on a daily basis, it is time they give back something to the community they’ve taken so much from.

HARRY GILL