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.”
The govt aint really interested in educating the children because they will be able to decipher things for themselves.
The need for common sense must prevail. The common sense approach must be that because of the affordability of the toll charges for the Berbice bridge to the ORDINARY, MIDDLE class persons, then more vehicles will cross the bridge daily. Profits will increase. People will get more accustomed towards using the bridge especially for recreation purposes. Right now, unless you really have to go to Berbice you will not use the bridge. Drop the high toll.
Vote Jagdeo next election!
1. You can’t compare the tolls in NY to the tolls in Berbice. Here’s why; as someone stated before, considering the minimum wage in NY a person can earn about US$300-$400 a week, whereby in Guyana a salesperson earn about $5000 a week. Factor in transportation costs, utility bills, food, clothing, medical fees, tuition fees etc and you will see how far that goes. A salesperson in NY can afford to pay the toll but obviously the same person cannot afford that toll in Berbice.
2. If the government pays drivers to ferry school children across the bridge, then the government will have to pay the drivers and conductors for the minibuses. Also, which drivers will be selected? What will be the criteria for the drivers? Won’t that cause anger among other drivers who won’t be selected? How many trips will the bus drivers will have to make across the bridge? What if some children show up late?
3. The people in Berbice will not cross that bridge if the toll remains the same. If the ferry service is shut down, people will start using speedboats to cross and then simply join buses once on the other side.
Let me reiterate, government and parents have failed their children for political points, now look who is suffering, children can’t offered to use the bridge, only last week these children parents were jumping for joy, know reality is digging their pocket.
Let the school children cross the bridge for free..
Jena , I support your position on this matter 100% . The school children should cross the Berbice Bridge toll-free . President Jagdeo and his government should resign because they have no vision . Can all of the people who are saying that the toll is too f*$%+? high crazy ??? Government is NOT a profit making organisation – in a democracy , it is government by the people and FOR THE PEOPLE !!! The mis-management of Guyana by the government is the reasons why guyanese are leaving the land of their birth.
Why should school children pay to cross that’s wrong, they should get a free pass only if they are going to school and mini buses carry in only school children to school should get a great discount.
Rasta and Amen-ra don’t worry with “evil” his name is so appropriate, he can’t see pass them cup he pelting and the palm trees that missing he.
Unless this Government drops this toll, then everyone who can avoid the bridge will use the ferry. And we will end up with another fiasco/white elephant like Skeldon Factory.
At least we sure in case of an emergency there will be no traffic jams on this bridge…to block the responding vehicles, with the existing rates!!!!!!
pity those who are using school children for their political cause….
you have to pity yourself. apparently you dont have children and if you do then you don’t @#$%&*$ mind them. so you are heartless.
evil eyes rest you self on this one, the toll is too freaking high and that’s a fact.
amen-ra wha u mean rest mehseff..ehehe one day u see yuh hero bechop next day u see children…what it is…it it is wat it is…suh u rest yuhseff now…dont let de cold bite ya..
I am so hurt to hear that the school kids are being used as a weapon.
I think that the kids should use that bridge for free and I mean that without any explanation, those kids are the future of a BRIGHTER, BETTER AND MORE BRILLIANT GUYANA. The kids in school do not have the opporunity that we had back in the days in getting a little something to eat while we were in school, they deserve something so that they can and will be able to give back to our nation in return. We have so many kids that their parents cannot afford to clothes and feed but they are going to school to obtain an education so by christ have some darn
” COMPASSION ” The citizens need to ” RISE UP SOON ” and show the government that you are fed-up with the situation you are facing.
LIVE IN LOVE
PEACE OUT
Wow! The poor school kids have to pay to cross a bridge?! No school busses? I may have a totally different perspective, but for goodness sake, I thought that getting an education/going to school is top priority. Now instead of worrying about homework or grades, the kids have to get “part time jobs” to pay toll fares. Not fair to them or the poor. Based on what I have been reading, this bridge will become another eye-sore and an empty ghost haven, since the majority of the population can’t even afford a proper slice of bread, much less toll fares. May I assume that the “officials” will cross for free?
Bharratonomics in action…..