Comments on: Why must a return fare be paid on the Berbice Bridge?

By: coolguy

coolguy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:33:29 +0000

this is a whole lot o crap some of u guys going on with. we know that people invest for profits, but we also know that charges must take into consideration the ability of the people to pay and quite frankly i don’t think the average guyanese citizen can afford those exhorbitant fees. let those of u in the U.S who are talking u mouth full o thrash be faced with a $65 toll to cross any bridge, especially if u are not going across it for business which will earn u in xcess of that. then we will know who like freeness and who willing to pay for development. if u are all willing to pay for development at the costs we pay here then come back home. as a matter of fact u should not have left in the first place. houri deh a battam a river he nah know how sun hot!!

By: bbuckman

bbuckman — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 04:52:44 +0000

io a talk too much.me would a keep me mouth shut.
with the change buy a fry rice.

By: caesar agustus

caesar agustus — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:46:15 +0000

PNC mentality at work.A freeco. It is endemic in Guyana. The dependenc problem.They expect the government to do everything for them.This is the kind of training handed down by the PNC.

By: WRodney

WRodney — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:42:14 +0000

Why would people invest, if they can’t get a return.!!!2!!!
U want road, bridges and other Infrastructures fu Free Free Free

By: hifive

hifive — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:05:40 +0000

All persons commenting about the toll will eventually accept and pay the toll. It is truly the Guyanese way complain, sulk, curse, etc. but accept as is.

By: M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:58:20 +0000

A toll station at the other end will SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW down traffic.

By: M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:52:33 +0000

It’s not cheating the toll, JM. It’s minimizing one’s losses. Legally.

By: Sage

Sage — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:52:34 +0000

It came to my attention today that some of the costs of crossing the Berbice exceeds the 10% of the ferry fee.

I was told that a Toyota Tacoma with a few boxes of load in the tray cost GYD$13,000 dollars to cross the bridge. That’s US$65.00 or nearly 1/2 of the average monthly wage in Guyana and in this case added nearly 30% to the cost of the goods transported. Financially this is a disaster for the businessman and the Berbice economy as a whole as these prices will be passed on.

A similar crossing on the Demerara River would cost just $600.00. and $900.00 on the ferry. Now I know that the bridge has to pay for itself but surely this is ridiculous. Having worked in public transportation forecasting many years ago I can assure you that the traffic on the bridge will exceed any mathematical forecasting model and since the bridge will be profitable with a mere 10% traffic increase over the ferry traffic it seems that such exorbitant pricing is wholly unnecessary. I think the traffic will quadruple in 2 years.

The bridge is a monopoly and as such should be regulated as one and I would think the law provides for regulation of monopolies in Guyana. A reasonable rate of return for an accepted time period should be agreed on between the government an the bridge company and the traffic and revenues closely monitored to ensure the profits do not exceed this figure. An amortization period of 25 years is generally accepted for a house ( average fixed loan period in the US) the payback period for the bridge should way exceed this. Also, I think encouraging more traffic with lower fees would be better than driving commercial traffic back to the ferry and the punishment they have endured for so long. Maybe they should all move to West Demerara where the residents seem more favored.

SAGE

By: Keno

Keno — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:21:53 +0000

It is an efficient way of collecting tolls by only collecting one way for the presumed return crossing.

By doing this, you do not have traffic delays due to people fishing in their pockets for loose change to pay the toll collectors and slow toll collectors.

Same principle applies in many toll crossings. If you pay $10 when entering staten island via the Verrazano bridge, you do not have to pay when you are leaving and in a hurry to get home to Brooklyn/Queens etc.

By: Keno

Keno — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:17:05 +0000

Are people missing the point here? I can enter Manhattan from Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Brige fro free but choose to go through the Battery Tunnel and pay a $5.00 toll so that I save time by not getting caught in the hugh traffic jam on the Gowanus from Prospect Expressway to the BQE.

Is is not the unreliable and time consuming plus limited capacity that necessitated the Bridge in the first place?

You have to pay for convenience every where you go.What’s wrong with that?

By: Jagdesh Mohunlall

Jagdesh Mohunlall — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:14:39 +0000

Mr. Ally I caanot understand your rationale. Are we trying to cheat the tolls. Do we want progress for Guyana, and complain a couple of years down the road.

I hope your comments will help the authorities implement safe guards for cheaters.

By: M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:36:54 +0000

But, but, but, but, (you meking me stamma) you’re flying Ole Glory! You’re a wee bit away from West B/ce, East B/ce and the bridge in any case!

By: caesar agustus

caesar agustus — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:42:44 +0000

Reader Alli please note. This is a longer bridge . Longer than the Demarara and more costly. Plus you are paying for the access road.So pay up or take a ferry.

By: GUYFLAG

GUYFLAG — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:40:22 +0000

A good obsevation by Mr. Ally,… guess the authorities just thinkig of applying the same principles as the DHB;.. However, this is shortsighted, conditionalities are not the same ..i.e a huge disparity in fares… vehicles should be offered single crossings… ..Public must push for a review…immediately…

By: quibian

quibian — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:38:27 +0000

you want to travel on the bridge free? then good luck with the ferry.

By: The One

The One — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:11:53 +0000

Guyanese love freeness. My brothers and Sisters if you want services you must pay for it. My 8 years old daughter knows nothing is free in this world

By: amen-ra

amen-ra — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:09:08 +0000

That is what development means, you pay for what you get.

By: Alexis

Alexis — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:45:08 +0000

I’m a West Berbician and i havn’t gone to East Berbice in years because of the ferry and i don’t think i’ll be going for now because the damn money is too much to cross the bridge.The minibus operators will want to raise their bus fares now to go over the bridge.

By: LIMACOL.COM

LIMACOL.COM — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:16:01 +0000

The Government should now privatize the ferry service. The service would improve as it would compete with the Berbice Bridge – passengers would benefit from lower fares and competition. The bridge toll is very high, and some would not mine waiting a hour or two and save thousands.
RL

By: CFO

CFO — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:27:06 +0000

Will cost more to set-up toll stations at both ends of the bridge but seems like the best thing given the rates.

By: Rupman

Rupman — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:50:43 +0000

Does it cost that much to travel on the bridge? Whoa!

Wonder how this high cost is going to feature in the minibus and taxi fares?

And I thought this bridge was supposed to benefit the poor man.

By: SWAT

SWAT — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:43:02 +0000

Mr. Ally your observation has now shown that the Berbice Bridge has now made the ferry service more popular. Who would have guessed?

By: Zaphurius

Zaphurius — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:32:07 +0000

because the government needs your money that’s why. You might as well use both the ferry and the bridge to get to and from Berbice to save yourself some money.

By: M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett

M. Xiu Quan-Balgobind-Hackett — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:20:11 +0000

And others will enter Berbice via the ferry, paying one-way fare, and leave Berbice via the bridge, free.