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.”
I WOULD AGREE THE TOLL IS A BIT HIGH.I CAN STILL REMEMBER WHEN THE DHB WAS COMMISSIONED,THE LATE LFSB SAID THAT IF ANYONE CAN WALK OVER A MILE THEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR CROSSING THE BRIDGE. GO & WALK IN PEACE …MY CHILD.
Early solution need so our children will be able to go to shool with ease
what a shame,i personally believe our children should cross free on that bridge,parents already paying their taxes and have to provide for their children to go to school,come on Mr President do something about this to help the poor people.
School children should either cross the bridge free or get some reduced fare. After all, they do not have an income and parents must support them in their education which includes transportation costs. I do not like the idea of a bicycle to cross because drivers are not careful [most of them] and it will just lead to accidents which we do not need right now. There is not a walkway on the bridge so that is not an option either. Even if there was, the children would probably have to leave home in the dark to get to the other side in good time.
It may mean also they will be arriving home late – another safety issue.
Make more job for the people have good jobs for the students who come out of UG and other schools .Make public transportation your job take public transportation to your office .Show the world that you have the best bridges with the world price. Then just after retirement go to the US and live .Just allowed people to have there own boat and company to work the river .Remember the days when the big bus own by guyanese famiely companys dies.
Is more dollors in the big boy ,s pocket .Vat now the bridge our kids cant afford the bridge ,they must cross for free ,they are our next leaders.
It is known around the world that children are the future generations of the world and whose responsibility it is to continue the work of the pass generations. In this world of changing technology and the need for a higher standard of education, it seems as though the highest levels of education will only be found in the towns and the city. Our education system does not support the policy of no child being left behind. Hence,with the present situation, if consideration is not given to the children of the West Berbice area to access the highest standard of education available in Guyana, the West Berbice area will definitely have the lowest literacy levels. With this I think that the Government should stop being a government of their ideas and be a government for the people.
For a country that is broke as guyana(dont believe me jus ask Guyanese) its really outrageous to be costing a price more expensive than that of a developing nation. Check this out: $6000, $7000, $4000 these are the prices that surounds the Berbice bridge…What is the average wage for Guyanese?
The Government giving a little and taking the ress’
No argument – Guyana is DEVELOPING look and see nah. Such crap! The same people that put them in government is who crying today…Hah!