New roads opening up new avenues for development

Dear Editor,

PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, AG Anil Nandlall, and the Agriculture Ministry have come in for praises for road projects and drainage work that makes streets passable and for easing flooding in outlying areas.
Roads are being rehabilitated or paved or patched all over the country.  In addition, new roads and other infrastructure work, like digging new or cleaning existing drains by Agriculture Ministry, open up vast fresh areas for housing development and farming. As I travelled around the country, the public showered glowing accolades on the President, the AG, Agriculture Minister Zulficar Mustapha, and Ministers Juan Edghill and Deodat Indar for infrastructure projects.

The President is commended for taking the bull by the horns with regards to road transportation. He is applauded for immediately establishing new roadways along the East Bank of Demerara (Region Three). Some time ago, the President announced a similar new road project for Region Three from Parika to the planned new Harbour Bridge across the Demerara River that connects West Bank to East Bank. The East Coast now needs a similar road connecting with the East Bank.
While not directly involved with infrastructure or agriculture, the public recognises the AG has overall jurisdiction on legal issues pertaining to all ministries and the government at large. He gives guidance on all legal matters including on land and contracts on infrastructure and drainage.

In addition, in interaction with the public during Cabinet outreach and consultations, the AG has given a commitment that government will rehabilitate existing and or build new roads and service communities that were neglected during the five years of the Coalition regime. The public repose confidence in the AG giving him almost perfect ratings for performance. Nandlall has the highest positive ratings among all ministers in polls conducted in November and January.
In his media press conferences, the AG laid out President Ali’s plan on infrastructure work and housing, emphasising that the current road projects are not the major projects planned for the future. The road from Linden to Lethem is in the cards.

The President is applauded for his vision to build new roads that open up vast areas of the country for housing development away from the main public road and the coast. It is visionary leadership. The planned new roads create opportunities for land to be transformed into house lots as well as farming and for other aspects of development.
The Diamond to Eccles Road is welcomed by residents in Georgetown and the East Bank. As they note, it will ease up traffic congestion on the East Bank where there are bottle necks during peak hours. Motorists from other areas will also benefit from the new roads bypassing the busy main public road on the bank of the Demerara River. In addition, the new Diamond-Eccles access road will make available land for thousands of new house lots at the back of the industrial area on the side of the main trench that once served the cane fields of the estate. Minister Colin Croal would be pleased that land becomes available for housing development.

Other parts of the country also need new and expanded road work. As I observed, for example, the east coast experience heavy traffic during peak hours. There are several bottlenecks on the road from town to the east coast that has a lot of traffic lights holding up traffic. Rehabilitation work was done during the previous regime on that stretch of the road. But parts of the road are uneven especially around bridges and some areas are in disrepair. The old format of constructing roads with traffic control lights are not most effective; first world countries avoid that method where practical. There are too many vehicles on the road from town to the East Coast. Government will have to look at overhead or underground pass for passengers or synchronise traffic lights with the flow of vehicles. Also, roads need to be upgraded and widened so as to improve conveyance.

But east coast has virtually no space in some villages running right feet from peoples’ yards. It is just a matter of time before cars end up in peoples’ yards; toddlers may end up play on the parapet of the main road. That main road has been courting disaster. An alternative express way away from residential settlements further inland would be ideal.  Government may want to look at Aruba, for example, where land is scarce but government was able to build a major first world highway away from the main road that runs next to hotels on the beach. A similar expressway through GuySuCo lands is practical. It can tie Mandela Ave, Sheriff Street, the bypass from Eccles to Diamond, and the planned road at Agricola to the rail line. An express way will reduce commuter delays and traffic congestion on the main road. In addition, it will help to reduce accidents on the main road and by extension fatalities.

The road expansion network into the interior is in keeping with the sustainable policy of Dr. Jagan that was articulated during the early 1960s. Jagan had a workable vision of opening up the interior to agricultural development, animal husbandry, and dairy production. He conceived building roads in the interior as well as from farms to markets to facilitate farmers, cattle herders, and poultry producers. President Ali is following in the footsteps of Jagan in connecting the interior with the coast.
With the new roads, President Ali is sending a clear signal that government will not depend on oil and gas to drive the economy. Government is not relying on oil but is diversifying the economy with emphasis on food production. Tens of thousands of acres of land will be opened up for farming, cattle rearing, poultry and egg production, and a growing dairy industry.
The public has expressed support for the government’s new access roads showering accolades on the work of the Ministers Edghill and Indar of Public Infrastructure and Zulficar of Agriculture.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram

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