Dear Editor,

AS a concerned resident and taxpayer living in Agriculture Road, I am concerned about
some issues in this road that leads to the Guyana School of Agriculture and NAREI.Not very long ago, I saw a new road built in the NAREI compound in front of the gate. The length of that road is approximately 200 metres long.

What bothers me most is those who came to build this road left three huge holes on the road just in front of the bridge. They also left another three bigger potholes in front the Guyana School of Agriculture bridge just a few blocks away from the NAREI gate. Those who building roads came to build a road in Agriculture Road. On their way in the road of about two miles long they left over 30 potholes, some huge and some smaller;
on their way out they just left all these holes and they are the road-builders.

They just put a blind eye to this road because of their personal laziness and incompetence. I guess the administrators at NAREI didn’t remind them of these pot- holes because they probably felt that these guys building these substandard roads would have used their commonsense and sealed these potholes with some brick and bitumen, but they were shocked to know these potholes
were left and get bigger daily since the rains. When it rains these holes are filled and drivers drive and drop into these holes that can lead to accidents and serious vehicle damage, even injuring the driver’s back and passengers because these potholes are very deep.

Just a about 10 days ago another set of road-builders came to build a new road through Market Street that leads to the Mon-Repos and BV NDC; they were no better, they did the same. They left all these potholes and just built the road through Market Street. This Agriculture Road is just a few years old and it’s breaking up gradually, because no one seems to care at the NDC or NAREI; they just drive on the road. Most of our roads are badly damaged because no one is maintaining them. What I see in this country is we leave things to be destroyed when it could have been rescued and repaired before its complete destruction.

Only when the Agriculture Minister is coming to the Guyana School of Agriculture or the President I will see those at NAREI or the NDC hustling to throw some sand in these potholes. Why hustle to build when someone in authority is coming? These educated folk can make representation to the Ministry of Public works to re-surface the bad spots in this road, but they just put a blind eye to it until it got worst.

Another issue I see in this road is residents throwing their garbage in the trench. Just in front of the Market Street not far from the GWI tank, residents living there dumped all their garbage just at the end of Market Street that leads to the NDC. I wonder if the chairman and those working at the NDC put a blind eye to this pubic menace from these residents and if they would not serve them a notice for ”littering” and take them to court. Schoolchildren walk this road daily and have to inhale the stench from this pile of garbage and the same residents who lives apposite this garbage heap has to inhale the stench, but they have become accustomed to their own filth, it doesn’t bother them much.

Speeding is another issue in this road that needs some speed bumps, over five people have already been killed on this road, including an eight-year- old boy that was struck dead by a speeding car just in front my house a year ago. Traffic police should be in this road and a speed limit sign should be erected to protect the lives of people from crazy drivers who speed as if they are at the racing track. I am calling on the Minister of Public works to get the Agriculture Road repaired and other relevant authorities to address this garbage dump by dealing with the residents living there who makes this environment a living hell for those walking and driving on the road.

Yours truly,
Rev.Gideon Cecil