RESIDENTS of Strathspey on the East Coast of Demerara have expressed gratitude to the government for fixing the dilapidated roads in their community, which according to them had given them a ‘lifetime of inconvenience.’

After years of navigating around potholes and looking at the unpleasant sight of the roads in the community, Mr. Lakhram, the proprietor of Best Buy, one of the most well-known businesses in the area, told the Guyana Chronicle that he is happy that the community has finally received a facelift after many years of inconvenience.

“Having one of the busiest businesses in the community, we are always moving at a fast pace, but many times we couldn’t get to our customers in time or vice versa, because of the condition that the roads were in. I am happy to say now that not only my business but every other business, residents, and children are benefiting from these roads,” explained Lakhram.

He further added that the Government of Guyana has been doing an ‘excellent’ job at developing not only Strathspey, but all the other communities throughout the country as well.

According to the proprietor, “President Ali and the Vice President, along with the other ministers, are all doing a great job. Every day in the news, we are seeing development: roads, bridges, drains, and streets are being built, and as a people, we should be happy to see this.”

Additionally, Mr. Lakhram stated that he admires the government for going to the people.

According to him, they know the problems and are dealing with them on the ground, not by sitting behind a desk.

He also asked the residents of Strathspey and all the other communities to ensure that they use the infrastructure in the right way so that it would not be damaged.

PPP/C CAME THROUGH

Meanwhile, Anna Mahadeo, a resident of the Strathspey community also thanked the government for investing in their community.

According to her, “Every day I had to use the road to get to work, and when it rained, it used to be worse to get to work. This was an ongoing issue, and the schoolchildren had to go through it too. People with vehicles used to complain a lot about the roads too, but nothing was done. Now, this government, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, did what they said they would have.”

In continuing, Mahadeo said: “I used to say that no one wasn’t seeing our village, no one was going to fix these roads, but that wasn’t true. The government is fixing the roads; we just have to be patient. Everything cannot be done at one time; it takes time.”

Furthermore, the owner of Rubis Gas Station, Mrs. Kamini Persaud, explained that while she isn’t a resident of Strathspey, she has been operating her business in that community for some time and considers herself a part of the neighbourhood.

“Even though I am not living in that community, I would like to say that it was an excellent job done by the Government of Guyana. I have been doing business in this community for a long time now, and I can tell you that it was a hassle with the older roads. There were holes all over; drivers and pedestrians didn’t know which corner to use, and that was frustrating. Many times, the traffic would be built up because of the terrible state that it [sic] was in, and it would barely move or many times be at a standstill,” Mrs. Persaud said.

The gas station owner said that with the new roads, the traffic is flowing at a faster pace.

She also urged drivers to desist from speeding along the community roads, as well as on the highways.

“We are happy that everyone is benefitting from these long-awaited roads, but I would like to ask that our drivers take into consideration that other drivers, young and older, are using the roads on a daily basis. It bothers me to see so many accidents on these roads, and some of these drivers do not learn. They don’t value their lives or other people’s lives either. I am pleading with all drivers to please look out for each other as well as our pedestrians,” she added.

PRIORITY

The Guyana Chronicle recently spoke with the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, who explained that community development has been and will be a priority of his government.

According to him, it is the government’s goal to enhance the infrastructure and the lives of all its people throughout the nation.

The minister said: “We are beyond the list of things to be done in our manifesto, and we will continue to work with and for the people until every Guyanese is comfortable. Of course, these initiatives do not happen overnight, but we are working towards that.”
Minister Indar also mentioned that the aim of all community projects is to ensure that the contractors and workers of the respective communities are given the first priority to develop the village in which they live.