THE recent push-back by some citizens against the planned increase in the tolls to cross the Demerara Harbour Bridge could have hardly been informed by facts on how much it costs the bridge corporation to maintain that decades-old facility and even how economical fares have been kept over the years. The opposition People’s Progressive Party, which just under two years ago was in government would have known this, yet that party’s leaders were the loudest in denouncing the proposed increases, considered to be very nominal when compared to those being charged to cross the Berbice River Bridge.
In fact, there has been no increase in the toll for minibuses, the main vehicle used by the masses to commute. This must have been a very careful and well thought out decision and the government must be commended for this. The other increases are marginal. Motorcyclists now pay a mere $20; the proposed increase takes this to $40. Motor car drivers will pay $100; the proposal is to increase this to $200. There is no proposed increase for minibuses and SUVs, which currently pay $200.
The DHB facilitates commerce, access to markets for farm produce and allows for thousands of workers and students to travel to work and school on a day-to-day basis. The current floating Harbour Bridge is, however, well over its intended shelf life. It has been kept going with intense monitoring, renovations, and a considerable amount of finances injected from the public purse.
A feasibility study will commence next month for the construction of a new, modern bridge across the Demerara River, to serve the residents of Regions Two, Three, Four, and Seven, who are the principal users. The Demerara Harbour Bridge was commissioned with a lifespan of 25 years, but, through repairs and upgrades, this has since been extended by 13 years. In the meantime, it is interesting to note that, in the five years between 2010 and 2015, enormous sums as subsidies were doled out by Government to the 38-year-old Demerara Harbour Bridge, to ensure its continued operation. This totalled two billion, two hundred and forty-eight million, five hundred thousand dollars ($2,248,500,000), which was funded by the taxpayers of Guyana.
The breakdown is as follows: 2010: seven hundred million, five hundred thousand dollars ($700.5M); 2011: five hundred and fifty million dollars ($550M); 2012: two hundred and seventy million dollars ($270M); 2013: three hundred million dollars ($300M); 2014: three hundred and thirty-eight million dollars ($338M); 2015: ninety million dollars ($90M).
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure, which has oversight for the bridge, has said that given that the life of the bridge has been extended for such a significant period, the maintenance costs are particularly high and onerous. In light of these constraints, the proposal to nominally rationalise the tolls, for two main reasons: to ensure that the DHB generates enough revenue to cover its annual operating costs without having to be dependent on taxpayer subsidies. (Being dependent on taxpayers’ subsidies to the tune of over two billion dollars is an obvious burden on the taxpayers of Guyana.
These funds could be utilised in other areas, such as education, job-creation, salary increase, infrastructural development, security services, better roads, provision of potable water, better electricity supply etc.) and to begin preparing for the process of building a new bridge across the Demerara River, to better service the residents of Regions Two, Three, Four, and Seven in their access to Georgetown, Demerara, and Berbice, especially.