–Public Works Ministry says new initiative will target East Bank Demerara residents as a test run

THE Ministry of Public Works has launched a revolutionary application, “Resolv Notification Service,” which will provide commuters with real-time updates on details related to ongoing infrastructural repairs and upgrades.

At the launch of the digital platform on Tuesday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said: “This app and tool [in the first phase] will be readily used as we seek to develop the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) corridor from Grove to Timehri.”

The application which was developed by a local technology firm, V75 Inc., and commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is designed to leverage WhatsApp as a mass communication medium.
“With this app, notifications will come through your phone through WhatsApp; every Guyanese will be able to get a notification in real time …they will be able to make adjustments [and] alternative arrangements,” Minister Edghill said.

He said that the ministry is cognisant of the inconveniences that commuters often face during the construction, expansion and repairs of roads.
“Development carries with it inconveniences for a period; this app and this project is to help us to be able to manage the inconvenience that could be experienced during road development and manage it in such a way that you would not have to lose lots of time,” Edghill related.

While this application, as it is now, only provides updates for residents and commuters along the EBD corridor, Edghill affirmed that the platform will be expanded to provide traffic advisories across the country.
“We want to be able to take this as a learning curve and eventually introduce it for projects country wide,” the Public Works Minister said.

He added: “We will be developing the Moleson Creek Road… similar situations will be created there, we have just had the approval for the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, putting in two roundabouts- one at the Soesdyke junction and the other at Millie’s Hideout to improve the flow of traffic. Construction will be on the road and people have to be notified.”

Minister Edghill reiterated that while Guyana is undergoing an infrastructural transformation and an overall advancement, the government is making strides to ensure that all investments are people centered.
“So, while we are building, transforming, modernising, we want to ensure that your lives are minimally interrupted and that the beneficiaries, the people of Guyana, they are kept abreast, they are informed,” Edghill related.
Resident IDB representative, Lorena Solorzano-Salazar, in brief remarks, said commuters could now plan their schedule based on these updates.

She added that the IDB is not only committed to the advancement Guyana’s infrastructure, but also easing the burdens and inconveniences faced by road users.
The application provides commuters and stakeholders with the ability to easily subscribe for updates, either via WhatsApp compatible QR codes or messaging “subscribe me” directly to the Resolv WhatsApp number (+1 (786)-244-6125).

Resolv also provides staff with the ability to access a management portal through which they could manage subscriber lists and quickly dispatch alerts.
The app provides an array of alert templates which simplify the authorship of traffic alerts, requiring only dates, locations and times to be entered.