THE reintroduction of a toll station in Linden, Region Ten will significantly boost the town’s economy, former Chairman of the Linden Interim Management Committee (IMC), Orin Gordon said on Wednesday.In an interview with Guyana Chronicle, Gordon said based on previous collections at the Kara Kara Toll Station, the town has the ability to rake in approximately $3M monthly or more than $36M on an annual basis.

Last Thursday, the Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan approved the Linden Town Council (Toll) By-Laws 2016.

The By-Laws were subsequently gazetted on Saturday, thereby allowing for the imposition of tolls for the use of the roads by 18 categories of vehicles, particularly vehicles passing through the town with fuel, lumber or merchandise. The tolls will range from $2000 to $7000.

The re-operationalisation of the toll system in Linden comes approximately three years after it was closed by the then PPP/C Administration.

Gordon explained that a toll station was opened in Linden in 1997 under the stewardship of then Mayor Stanley Smith, following an order by then Local Government Minister, Clinton Collymore.

The move, Gordon further explained, was in response to cries of Lindeners.

“They felt that it was unfair to have persons come into Linden sell,” Gordon said.

Tolls were collected until 2011 when the Town Council took several persons to court over their failure to pay the required tolls. In the court, it was explained by the council’s legal representative that tolls were being collected in accordance with Chapter 28:01, Section 301 of the Municipal and District Councils Act but the judicial officer had noted that the act was not specific and as such a By-Law was required.

By 2011, Gordon had already assumed leadership of the council, and had crafted a by-law to legalise the collection of tolls. That By-Law was adopted by the then Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Kellawan Lall on September 1, 2011.

In response to the Minimum Wage Order of 2012, Gordon said mechanisms were put in place to “tighten-up” the operation at the Toll Station in a quest to increase the salaries of the council’s workers who were paid below the $35,000 minimum wage.

“We decided to hire some rural constables to assist in the management of the booth and they were doing a fine job under the leadership of Avery Trim and others,” the former IMC Chairman posited. He also noted that the rural constables were able to increase the tolls collected from $700,000 to approximately $3M.

Much to his dissatisfaction, Gordon said either in June or July of 2012, the council received a Local Government Ministry instruction, which stated that it was to close the toll station, but the instruction was met with major objection.

“A couple of miners, I was told had complained to the government about having to pay the tolls and Cabinet instructed the then Minister Norman Whittaker to close the booth,” Gordon explained.

Gordon said he rejected on the grounds that the revenues collected at the boost were critical to the operation of the Council and an alternative financial source was not provided. However, after returning to Guyana from China, he was informed that the current Town Clerk Janella Bowen had closed the booth on the instruction of Minister Whittaker.

“I saw a letter in which he (Whittaker) threatened the Town Clerk that if she didn’t do it, this and that would have happened,” Gordon recalled.

The booth was officially closed on September 26, 2013.

In Gordon’s opinion, the Gazzetting of the By-Law is somewhat belated and should have been done immediately after the 2015 General Elections.

Linden’s Deputy Mayor Waneka Arrindell dispelled the notion that the imposition of the tolls would be a financial burden to the people of Linden and the business community.

“This council is made up of Lindeners who have this community at heart. This toll booth will bring well needed finances to this community,” she posited.

According to the By-Law, “vehicles mentioned in the Schedule registered in the name of a person living in Linden shall pay a toll determined by the Council twice a year in January and July.” However, the Deputy Mayor assured that consultations will be held before a figure is arrived at.

“Lindeners will not face the day to day toll; there will be discussions with the Linden Chambers of Commerce and businesses as we work on a cost that is suitable and that will not affect the businesses negatively in this community. This will be paid twice a year. No taxies, busses, private or hire cars, will pay the toll,” she explained.

With the revenues collected, the Deputy Mayor said the Council would be able to clear its debts and execute much needed works in the Town.