At the opening ceremony for the long-awaited Berbice River Bridge, President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that the bridge would help to ease the travelling woes for commuters, especially schoolchildren.
Schoolchildren at Rosignol on Friday
However this newspaper caught up with some schoolchildren on Friday afternoon as they were leaving the ferry on their way home. When asked, they said they had not used the bridge for school because they could not afford the high transportation cost. Some observers have suggested that a system could be worked out where they would go up to the bridge and special vehicles from the eastern end would wait in front of the toll station to avoid paying the charges and take the children across at a cheaper rate.
Meanwhile, traffic chief of ‘B’ Division, Owen Trotz told Stabroek News that Route 50 minibuses are allowed to go to New Amsterdam to drop along the Main Road, turn into New Street and then along the market area.
He said they would then have to go to the NA stelling to await passenger to take back to West Berbice. Likewise, the traffic chief said Route 63 buses can also take passengers up to the Rosignol stelling. Trotz urged the drivers to obey the speed limit on the bridge and to exercise caution when using the approach road on the eastern side as “it is not finished as yet.”
Seriously, if they do not drop this bridge price they will be holding their heads bawling.
Sandhurst! It is so Good to see our Children (all 10 Races) in School Uniform, it shows and atmosphere of descipline and the will to learn. Guyana need to show more of the school children rather that the Mini Bus accidents.
Sandhurst! It is so good to see our School Children (all 10 races)in Uniforms, it shows a society that is prepared to learn. We need to see more of the schools around the country. Stop showing us Mini Bus Accidents. Education was always at the fore-front of the Guyanese Society
The BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE BERBICE BRIDGE CONSORTIUM should look at the option of easing travelling woes for schoolchildren.
Whereas rich folk like 4-Ton SUV driving Mr Mark Benschop can and should pay the high tolls for their luxury vehicles, the schoolchildren do not have much funds and it would be a marketing coup for the bridge if a school shuttle (morning and afternoon) or some such IMAGINATIVE SOLUTION could be initiated.
Statish, you need to understand that the issue is not about people like Benschop who have these 4X4’s, but that the toll is outragious, and makes no sense. If a business person wants to cross the bridge carrying goods to GT for sale, he has to add the HIGH cost of crossing that bridge to the price he has to sell his product. Once again forcing poor folks to pay a very high price for their goods, thereby straining their already strained budget. This negates the reason for building the bridge, which was to aid in making it easy for commerce between Region 6 and the rest of the country. The toll to cross that bridge is mort tolls than one would pay for driving an 18 wheeler full of goods from Miami to Toronto via I95 which has more tolls than any other route when going North . Think about that.
Here is something for you to think on MACK
1 ALL HIGH END LUXURY VEHICLES SHOULD PAY TOP RATES, NOT JUST BENSCHOP. HE JUST EXPOSED HIMSELF TO REDICULE.
2 THE TOLL IS NOT OUTRAGEOUS FOR ORDINARY MINIBUS USERS: The President pointed out that if a minibus had to use the ferry, it would be charged $800 for each leg of the trip in addition to charges that the operator would have to pay on the number of passengers in the bus. This, the President said would often amount more than G$2,200. HARDLY OUTRAGEOUS!
3 MY FATHER TRADED BETWEEN BERBICE AND GEORGETOWN AND WAS TOO POOR TO HAVE HIS OWN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE. HE HIRED SPACE REGULARLY ON A TRUCK. TRUCKS DO NOT USE THE BRIDGE. THEY USE THE FERRY. NOW THE FERRY SERVICE WILL BE FASTER BECAUSE OF HELP FROM THE BRIDGE. SEEMS TO ME THAT COMMERCIAL USERS OF THE FERRY ARE GETTING A BIG, BIG BENEFIT BECAUSE OF THE BRIDGE.
I just read the following in the Kaieteur newspaper written by a columnist who writes under the heading ‘Blame The Government’
“People point to the United States, particularly New York, where there are bridges that must be used for people to get to one location. If they should compare the cost, they would find that the charges are not too dissimilar. The standard rate for most of the bridges is US$8. That would translate into $1,600.”
If we want to compare the prices paid in New York with those paid in Guyana, then we ought to compare the wages and salaries paid in New York with those paid in Guyana.
the charges are dissimilar because a dollars is a dollar in every country. In comparason a person travelling daily in NY and has to pay a toll of us$8 would pay in a week us$40. while in guyana with the meagre wages and the high tolls you are killing the workers. Mind you the basic weekly wages in NY at the bottom end is about US$350. The average guyanese worker gets about GUY$50,000 a month. just work the maths.
You sure right. Da idle man using the US rates but not checking that we mek pittance in comparison
THE government should place 1 or 2 buses to take SCHOOL CHILDREN with passes across the bridge for FREE.If you cant educate our children what will the Future Hold?
People with Gass guzzlers 4 ton AMERICAN 8 cylinder Vehicle should pay the Maximum.People with smaller vehicles and Mini Buses should be moderately TAXED.Who cares about Benschop and his Guzzler, 11 miles to the gallon. Too much time wasted on this matter about Benschop, Time to concentrate on lowering the toll for the everyday joe blow.The farmers and the people going to work.
THe toll is too high!!!
When (not if) the ferry service is stopped,Berbice will be like a separate state in Guyana. Because the cost of travel will be too exorbitant.
Our government is fighting a losing battle with the bridge fees. They should sit urgently and rethink the toll fees. That’s the only way this bridge will be successful.
if the bridge is supposed to be a solution to Berbice getting more trade, opening up their economy and easing their travelling problesm i guess those goals will not be reached with toll charges as ridiculous as 13,000. It seems very prejudicial for the ferry to deny this man entry if at the bridge they considered his vehicle a heavy duty truck. i wish this administration was a bit more fair and consistent in their dealings.
can they cycle over for free,that could be an option.They are our future.
What impression are our future leaders getting of our present leaders? Same impression I got yeeeeeeeeeeears ago.
The same impression you got years ago and, that impression guided you to the voting booth. My suspicion is that you voted for the very people who now are square pegs in round holes. ISNM
bin square pegs in round holes since 1955…
the govt need to do something about the fare,not good at all for poor people esp,school children.
I hope the Board of the BBCI is listening.