TOMORROW, the new Kitty Roundabout will be officially opened. It will introduce the latest new feature to traffic control on our increasingly crowded approaches to the Capital City. I will be there, waving my Guyana Flag in cautious celebration.

For years, we had to navigate past an empty barrel, or an old tyre or just a wallaba stump that was stuck in the middle of that busy intersection to guide traffic. The traffic island invariably did not function. As the traffic literally crawled, drivers had to adopt the mandatory rules of looking right, left, ahead and sideways.

I am pleased that the Coalition Government has found a remedy for the eye-sore at this intersection by converting the junction into a roundabout. Though this is not the only roundabout in Guyana, critics are eager to damn the project as only an expensive, public relations display or a Coalition “show-off”. Some condemn the Roundabout as a curse and predict ominous happenings at what they conjure up as the seawall slaughterhouse of commuters and pedestrians.

PERSISTENT FEAR
That said, there is, however, one persistent fear of abuse by motorists, especially privately-owned passengers mini-buses which are invariably described by many Guyanese as the “midnight assassins”. We urge that they exercise their duty of care, and that they slow down, stop, look around and proceed with caution at this roundabout.

These negative views to which I referred are going to hover over the Kitty Roundabout long after we cut the proverbial ribbons tomorrow, and let the interminable, twisting traffic into the giant circle. As this happens, I find appropriate the lyrics of Chubby Checker, “and round and round and up and down we go…” as the Kitty Roundabout comes into operation.
Earlier, a similar pall of uncertainty and scepticism had greeted innovations from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. Almost as soon as we came to office, Carifesta Avenue was restructured to put in place a divider with street lamps to better regulate the two-way traffic that had featured periodic, head-on collisions and other accidents.

INDEPENDENCE ARCHES
Then, the government erected two splendid Independence Arches over the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara highways. These vertical beauties delineate the perimeters of the Capital at Agricola and Industry. As they went up majestically, the usual fuss-makers griped over the temporary traffic congestion. And they also groaned when D’urban Park was excavated and rebuilt to give Guyana an improvised amphitheatre in what has been for too long an urban jungle.

The grand but incomplete D’urban Park, where my father’s champion horse, Bright Steel, once attained glory, today accommodates the largest number of spectators in a single space. It also houses the National Flag that could be seen from far distances, for the many who see and feel pride. A handful continue to belly-ache from issues and non-issues over the costs of the Park and, the latest griping, over the colour of the flag, a corner of which was patched with a strip of green cloth to cover the tattered, but existing green, tail-piece.

When our Flag was spanking new, during the 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations, the political Opposition disrespected it as the symbol of our nationhood by staging a lacklustre walkout from the Park after demanding VIP seating!
I mention the flag issue just to show that our three-year young government would come under fire for anything we do, especially if what we do is correct, impressive and better yet, spectacular.

CONSTRUCTIVE OBSERVATIONS
However, we need to heed some of the sober and otherwise constructive observations about potential mis-use of the Kitty Roundabout, where real dangers lurk, especially at nights. The good news is that Guyanese motorists already have experience in the use of roundabouts.

For years, whilst I was in private practice as an attorney, my office was perched over the less celebrated roundabout at the St George’s Cathedral. I also had an oblique view of the roundabout at the Bank of Guyana/Cenotaph square. There are also roundabouts in Lethem, Bartica and at the junction of the Soesdyke-Linden highway.
Already, we have lost too many precious lives on our roads. The fatality figures for 2018 show that 38 persons have perished in road carnages, mostly due to speeding and drunk-driving.

Except for the Soesdyke junction which claimed many lives, the other roundabouts account for occasional fender-bender accidents, mostly when mini-buses would suddenly pull over or come to a dead-stop to pick-up or drop off passengers.

Few fatalities have been recorded at these roundabouts, and effective policing is needed to keep them this way, especially through robust education of new or young drivers. The latter would find access to the roundabout tricky, and they are advised to go online to learn lessons on how to approach and use it safely.

UNIVERSAL INTERNET ACCESS
Today, at long last, access to the internet in Guyana is becoming universal. To date, 119 ICT community hubs have been established across the country, the latest in Black Bush Polder and at Blairmont.

Even remote communities and schools in areas of our indigenous people have been provided with free internet access, including Aishalton, Annai, Bartica, Bamia, Baramita, Iwokrama, Lethem, Linden, Mabaruma, Mahdia, Masekenari, Matthew’s Ridge, Orealla, Paramakatoi, Port Kaituma, Santa Rosa and Waramadong.

All 113 secondary schools now possess computer laboratories and enjoy access to the internet. Computer (styled “tablets”) have been distributed to 2010 students and 109 teachers in pilot schools in four administrative regions. Some ten thousand laptop computers were distributed under the One Laptop per Teacher Programme, launched on World Teachers’ Day on 5th October 2016.

Public Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes remarked recently that the ICT hubs are a boost to the education sector, allowing students to complete research in a safe and comfortable place. She disclosed that in a few weeks, CXC and Grade Six Assessment applications and curriculum guides will be loaded on the computers in the ICT hubs. Also, Government services including application for passports and birth certificates, will be online.

OPEN GOVERNANCE
The ICT progress forms part of national data management and open governance platforms which Guyana has embraced since the Coalition took office.

Today, I embrace my APNU+AFC Coalition colleagues, David Patterson and Catherine Hughes, two of our young, talented, energetic and visionary Ministers, for pioneering these projects, as well as many others that are helping to shore-up public infrastructures and telecommunication in Guyana.

I invite readers and those present at the Kitty Roundabout ceremony tomorrow to inject into the proceedings a mood of optimism. In the lyrics of Chubby Checker:
“Come on everybody, clap your hands! Awww, you looking good!”