A HIGH-level multi-stakeholder task force, which was established in June this year, has made several recommendations to reduce the number of fatal accidents and quell the destruction of roads by the indiscriminate movement of lumber trucks within the town of Linden and the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Among the recommended measures were restricting lumber trucks to traverse on ‘back roads’ only and curtailing the hours that they may traverse on the main roads.
The last of the two meetings held saw government ministers, including Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Patterson calling for the enforcement of several of the recommendations by June 15, 2018.

However, about two months after that meeting, none of these recommendations were implemented and fatal accidents continue to occur on the highway at night as a result of lumber trucks; the latest being last week. Residents of Linden, especially drivers, have expressed their disappointment that issues of national safety continue to be just talk and no action. “It was reported in the papers that these drivers should only drive in the day, they can’t park on the road without reflectors at nights and all these things, and nothing isn’t changing. I want to know who really is the boss,” said one Linden driver en route to Linden on Monday night, after passing a string of lumber trucks, parked and moving, on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Commenting on last Wednesday’s accident, which caused the death of 24-year-old Ryan Wilson, the driver said that he passed the truck parked without proper reflectors on a turn and commented that the way the truck was parked during the wee hours of the morning when the atmosphere was heavily fogged, it will cause an accident. Not to his surprise, less than an hour after, Wilson slammed into the right side front of motor lorry GPP 2777 with trailer TTT 1610, which was stationary along the eastern side of the road facing north. A bulldozer was loaded unto the trailer of the lorry at the time of the accident.

Even as fatal accidents continue to occur as a result of lumber trucks, daily commuters and drivers using the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway believe that while efforts are being made by regional officials to monitor the movement of lumber trucks at nights, these efforts are not bearing fruit and persons continue to lose their lives.

Clement Rio, another driver who traverses the highway, said that without lights it is very difficult to see at nights and more so to see a heavily laden lumber truck, parked, especially around turns, as is most times the case. “When you coming up on that highway at nights is the grace of God that does bring you through, nothing but the grace of God. Them truck man continue to do as they please, continue to drive whenever they please and continue to ‘overweight’ the trucks as they please. Nobody seems to be doing nothing about it,” Rio said in conversation with this publication, en route to Linden.

Where is the breakdown?

The multi-stakeholder meetings that were held were chaired by Regional Chairman Renis Morian who was very vocal on the implementation of the changes to see stricter monitoring of the lumber trucks, especially at nights. When questioned by this publication about whether the issue is just a ‘talk show’ as the residents have it, he said that the breakdown lies in the fact that as much as the RDC and regional officials want to implement the changes, the powers are not within his hands. He said that out of the two stakeholder meetings came recommendations that were presented to the Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson to be enforced. “On a daily basis, we have trucks breaking down on the highway, but we can’t make the decisions, we only can make recommendations because signs and traffic fall under Ministry of Public Infrastructure,” Morian affirmed.

He said that after the meetings, letters were sent to Minister Patterson, Permanent Secretary Geoffrey Vaughn and other government officials. To date, he said, the RDC is still awaiting a response. “It is a pressing issue, the population is pressing on the RDC to give solutions. We are waiting here from the minister on whether he will adopt or put the recommendations into force,” Morian said. With the recent inclement weather, Morian said that the situation is worse and while there is the issue of fatalities, the other issue is that the roads on which the government continues to spend millions, continue to be destroyed by the lumber trucks.

In an invited comment, Minister Broomes, who was part of the meeting, said that she was a part of the discussion to lend support to the region. She said that a meeting was set up with Minister Patterson and the regional officials, since it is under his purview to deal with weight limit and scales and so forth. She, however, also understands that there are certain things the region has to deal with; internal regional issues that have to be dealt with by not only the RDC, but the Municipality as well. She is encouraging all parties to meet with Minister Patterson to discuss these issues, since one life lost is one too many. Broomes said she will continue to lend support to the process, since yesterday might be someone else’s day, but today might be ours, since we all traverse the highway.

Cosmetic Local Government Reform
Concerning issues where local leaders cannot enforce decisions that may be in the best interest of the lives of the residents in their constituencies, Morian, during a recent RDC statutory meeting, posited that real power is yet to trickle down to local government organs such as the RDC. He said that local government reform is ‘cosmetic’ and is calling for a phase two of the reform to be done so that powers can be deepened within the local government organs.

“For us to get a decision, we gotta write somebody. A lot of people feel the chairman and councillors got powers; we got pen powers, we can’t go out there as the Council and redirect them trucks because we will run into a whole lot of laws and obstacles,” Morian said.

The RC is calling for more power to be given to the RDC to institute rules in cases such as these. “The people who I feel would have presided over local government reform, they never really work in local government on a day-to-day basis to understand what is happening. So the reforms that were made to me are still cosmetic…..the whole local government reform needs to be revisited, the government is looking to divest power to local government organs but I feel that real power is still to come down to local government organs,”Morian said.

Recommendations made
At the stakeholder meetings held, the recommendations for enforcement in addition to those aforementioned was for the logs to be transported down the Demerara River as was done before the construction of the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Trucks were to utilize the Wisroc and Noitgedacht back road on the Wismar and Mackenzie shore, respectively. The RDC was to have collaborated with other entities to ensure that the back roads which are currently in a deplorable state; be repaired so that the trucks can utilise them without hiccups. Recommendations were also made for the loggers and other lorry drivers to play a role in repairing the roads, since the trucks would have contributed to the state they are in.

The police were to clamp down on drivers driving with bright lights at nights; and truck drivers were to be always equipped with reflector cones and other illuminators so as to guide other motorists accordingly in the eventuality of a breakdown. Trucks were to also transport the correct length of lumber which is 12 feet. Traffic Chief Ramesh Ashram made a commitment to the team that decisions will be enforced accordingly. “I will ensure that action is taken,” he said.

Calls were also made for a robust highway patrol to be implemented by the GPF so as to effect stricter monitoring of lawless drivers. Calls were also made for the Soesdyke/Linden Highway to be equipped with signage and road markings and to clear overhanging trees to allow for safer use by motorists.

Residents and drivers of Linden are hoping that the recommendations will be enforced so as to make the Soesdyke/Linden Highway safer at nights to drive.