EVER since independence, Guyana’s physical landscape has been changing but at a gradual and steady pace, resolute in the journey towards being a land with all modern infrastructures.
Over the years, Guyana has seen the construction of major infrastructural landmarks and in terms of sea transport infrastructure, the Demerara Harbour Bridge and the Berbice Bridge stand out. The Demerara Harbour Bridge, which has outlived its lifespan but still is in operation, connects West Demerara, Essequibo, Linden and by extension the hinterland to Georgetown; the Berbice Bridge also directly links the Ancient County to the city.
Georgetown is the centre of all major commercial activities. It is the spotlight for entertainment, a well of opportunities for job seekers, and the place that provides a break from the mundane country life of farming, fishing and hunting. With of lack employment opportunities aside from farming in the countryside, many young people have been gravitating towards the city to seek employment in business, information technology, and other areas or to study.
Aside from persons gravitating towards the bustling city seeking employment or to further their studies, farmers and dealers from the countryside also regularly transport their produce to Georgetown to be sold. And then there are persons from the outskirts of the city and those in rural settings, who visit to shop and recreate. So at any one time, traffic in the city is always busy, and at some places, very busy.
This increase in traffic has brought about some problems for city administrators. Among them is traffic congestion. However, this congestion is less compared to the one on the East Bank where there is a daily struggle for persons from the West Coast of Demerara to get to Georgetown for work or to do business.
It is most notable in the mornings when persons are heading to work and in the afternoons when they leave work for home. The congestion is due to a rapid increase in vehicles over the years; an increase which has occurred at a faster rate than the Government has been extending and upgrading the road network. Today, the majority of households on the coastland own a vehicle and with more than 10,000 vehicles entering the country every year, traffic congestion on key arteries leading to Georgetown continues to be a major bugbear. This is very much evident at Houston, Eccles, Peter’s Hall and Diamond in the mornings and afternoons every day, and it is most welcoming news that the Government will be building overhead pedestrian crossings at these busy zones. In busy traffic, the likelihood of accidents occurring is always high, and in Guyana, pedestrians comprise the majority of traffic victims.
This is borne out by statistics from the Guyana Police Force. From the period 2000 to 2015, of some 2,332 persons who perished as a result of accidents, 842 were pedestrians, 362 were pedal cyclists and 298 were motorcyclists. These constitute a loss of vital human resources and represent a setback to development and monumental social, economic and emotional strain on relatives of the victims.
In the overwhelming majority of cases, these tragedies could have been avoided had the persons behind the wheels been driving responsibly. The overhead passes, which in a way will also enhance the landscape of local roads, are vital means of getting pedestrians out of harm’s way. One hopes that these passes will also cater for the physically challenged, but the effort of moving the idea to minimise accidents involving pedestrians from conception towards making it reality is worthy of high praise. It is now time for the Government to look at building overpasses for vehicles and more immediately, move full speed ahead with the Diamond-Ogle road project, which will significantly ease the traffic congestion on the East Bank of Demerara.
