By Rehana Ahamad

THE road which links Robb and Commerce Streets, Georgetown, is soon to be rehabilitated and reopened. The passageway, in its current state, is a fly-infested garbage dump overrun by bushes. During a recent site visit, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill said that the area would be opened up and put to use by bus drivers plying the East Coast route. “This would provide minibus operators with an alternative exit from the park, instead of having to go around till to Commerce Street,” Minister Edghill noted. The majority of drivers who spoke with this newspaper are ecstatic, expressing hope that the project would be realised in time for the holiday shopping rush. Tekchand Persaud, a bus driver who has been working the UG/Industry-Georgetown route for approximately 27 years, said that he has never benefited from use of Savage Street, as is the official name of the road in question. As a matter of fact, hardly any of the drivers and vendors in the area could recall the dumpsite ever being a traversable road.
Speaking on behalf of several minibus drivers, Persaud said that the UG/Industry route has close to 50 minibuses that cannot be accommodated on the existing park. He noted that the use of the “alleyway” would go a far way in alleviating the heavy traffic at the minibus park. This was attested to by Keon Andrews, called “Big foot”, a minibus conductor operating the Plaisance to Georgetown route. “If they open up this here, buses could come in and out of the park faster, so more buses would be able to come in. This traffic here is mek most of these guys run the road; they don’t stay in the park,” Andrews told the Sunday Chronicle. Natasha Avery, who operates a beverage stall in the area, views Savage Street as being nothing but a major health hazard to minibus operators, vendors and shoppers alike. “This place nasty; it does stink. Is sheer garbage and so does be here,” Avery said.

She noted that oftentimes, after the stores are closed and most vendors vacate the premises, “junkies” would dump garbage at the location. “They does bring things from all over; all kind of nasty things and leave it right there,” Avery complained. A minibus conductor, who only gave his name as “Tall Man”, believes that once the street is opened, vendors should not be allowed to crowd the space. “It does be hard fuh we out here; this park never got enough space. Plus, to mek things worse, these people that does be selling is very out of order,” “Tall Man” related.
He explained that vendors have been crowding the pavements for years, forcing pedestrians to walk “in the middle of the road”. This, “Tall Man” said, usually results in increased traffic along America Street and its surrounding roadways.

“You always got to be stopping for people to pass, ‘cause nobody can’t walk on the paves. Is sheer sellers does tek over de places that people got to walk,” “Tall Man” said.  He noted that the buildup of traffic sometimes goes over Avenue of the Republic, blocking that important thoroughfare. “Sometimes buses does be out on that road, and even when the traffic light at Church Street turn green, we buses does be blocking traffic that got to go (towards Church Street),” “Tall Man” told this publication. He is pleading with the Ministry of Public Works to restrict vendors from plying their trade on Savage Street, once it is opened up for use. Meanwhile, Minister Edghill has indicated that Savage Street is likely to undergo a name change. “We will have to figure all those things out,” Edghill posited.