GUYANA, being a small country of approximately 214,969 km squared in area, has over the years experienced infrastructural challenges such as overcrowded and damaged roads and limited exit and entry points, especially in the main city of Georgetown. Region Four, the largest region in the country, has been the region with the greatest attraction sites and is filled with an abundance of opportunities for all, especially for professionals in the world of work, along with students who are in pursuit of primary and secondary education, whether through public or private institutions.

Consequently, this contributes to rush-hour sessions in the mornings and afternoons on the West Bank and East Bank of Demerara, resulting in delayed schedules and limited trade options. The interior regions are also affected by poor transport measures, which also have an impact on business operations and development of the communities.

In Budget 2021, accommodation has been made to reduce these issues, of which $23.7 billion was allocated for roads and $1.9 billion for bridges. There will be a Linden to Mabura Hill Road which will improve accessibility between the hinterland and coastal cities. The road link seeks to expand the transportation route from Georgetown to Lethem on the south-west coast border. This project will help to develop the communities and encourage economic activities along with providing environmental protection to preserve the ecosystem. Jobs will be created; small and medium enterprises will have access to financing, markets and other services needed to carry out business operations.

Ecotourism will also be boosted by having access to the nature reserves such as the Iwokrama Rain Forest. Currently, the roads are constantly being destroyed during the rainy season; this results in adverse effects on transportation in and out of the region, along with delayed and limited trading services. This investment will improve these roads and increase trade, especially between Guyana and Brazil by constructing a road that will last all year round and cause little to no hindrances to the daily operations of the region. This will also result in communities having better access to basic essential services, rather than depending solely on the capital city.

The hinterland roads will also be upgraded in 2021. The hinterland region is filled with many resources and the government seeks to ensure that this region becomes developed to benefit the people there and give them access to opportunities that any other areas of the country experience.

The West Demerara and the East Bank of Demerara are highly populated areas that depend on the main city of Georgetown for essential services on a daily basis, and as such, results in heavy traffic along the Demerara Bridge area in the mornings and afternoons, as was mentioned earlier. To overcome this challenge, the government has invested in new routes to redirect the traffic to allow for easier travel on the East Bank of Demerara.

These new routes are Diamond to Mocha, which will be linking to a connecting network at Herstelling to Eccles and Eccles will be linked to Mandela Avenue. Works have already commenced on these routes in 2020 and are expected to be completed this year. This will also allow for more trade to occur as the travel time will be improved and accessibility will be easier and faster.

A high-span bridge over the Demerara River will be constructed within the next four years, but discussions for a suitable contractor will be done this year. The bridge will allow for maritime traffic and vehicular traffic to travel simultaneously without having a retraction schedule. This will also reduce travel time, as commuters would not have to leave their homes hours earlier to avoid the heavy traffic which gives them more time to commit to other important matters. Trade will also increase, as the travel time will be reduced for vehicular traffic and maritime traffic does not have to wait until a particular time to travel along the river way, thus enhancing their business operations.

In Region Three, there will also be new road links to reduce the traffic congestion along the West Bank of Demerara. There will be a link from Schoonord to Parika, which is just off the Demerara Harbour Bridge connecting from one end to the other end of the region. This will open up many opportunities such as house lots, small businesses, jobs, and contracts for construction companies; the banking sector will be blooming, business operators and suppliers will benefit from spin-off effects of this investment.

As taxes were removed from building materials and the mortgage ceiling was raised, many will have better chances of affording to build their own homes. There will also be a road link between Bartica and Parika, which will allow for increased and more efficient trade. Travel time will be reduced immensely as there will be limited ferry services to conduct trade. These routes are set to be surveyed in 2021 and plans for financing and construction will then be determined.