-repairs promised in four weeks
Residents of Glasgow and nearby communities on the East Bank Berbice yesterday staged a protest demanding that the road in their area be fixed; standing on the road from 6 am and braving the scorching heat of the sun to demand attention to a problem they say “has been going on for years now.”
Region Six Chairman Zulfikar Mustapha told the residents yesterday that a case had been made to the Ministry of Public Works for a proper road to be built and this would be addressed in another “two to four weeks’ time”. In the meantime, he said the region would continue to do remedial work.
According to Maxwell Semple, the president of the East Bank Berbice Hire Car Association, and a resident of Glasgow, “For years now this is being patched with red, and mud; we never a get a proper road. They never do any proper work here, never.”
He told Stabroek News that the neglect is being reflected in the quality of the road. He does not feel that this neglect has anything to do with race or politics, because “the PNC fail we, now the PPP failing we, who we must turn to next?”
A drain in the middle of the Glasgow road
In the event there is a fire, he said, the fire tender will not be able to get to the destination quickly because of the state of the road. “The same thing with police,” he said, they will not be able to get there in a hurry. “Any emergency in the area will be hampered by the holes in the road. And is we gon suffer.”
Another resident, Deodatt Persaud, said the road did not need “patching”, and “emergency work. We want a proper rehabilitation of the East Bank road. Enough is enough, we ain’t able with them dust and mud and other things.” He pointed out that it is the only access road. The community, he said, had tried all other ways of getting the road fixed, including meeting regional officials and accepting the promises that were made to them. “But every time is the same thing. Dem just put some sand so, put some stone there and next thing you know dem holes getting big, big.”
According to Roxanne Warde, whenever it rains parents have to hold their children tightly to prevent them from sliding down in the mud. “Then sometimes cars pass and dem splash mud water on you. You can never get a clean and proper shoes; always with mud. We can’t take it anymore,” she said.
Some of the protesters with the river in the background
In the midst of the protest some sand and a little stone were sent to patch the road. This sand with stone, the residents said, will “just stay deh for a few morning and then back to square one.”
They said the only time that anything reasonable was done was when Arrival Day celebrations were held at Highbury, “because to get there you need to use that road”.
Rebecca Ellis, an elderly woman of Sisters’ Village, was walking to New Amsterdam yesterday morning, to seek medical attention. She said she understood the protestors’ plight and agrees that there is need for their action because the road is atrocious.
Meanwhile, residents seemed to accept the assurances offered by the regional chairman yesterday. All morning they had been saying that they will not accept “patching” of the road. However, after the visit by Mustapha, they removed to allow the holes in the road to be filled pending further rehabilitation of the road in a month’s time. “But after that is different story,” the residents said.
Rebecca Ellis walking to New Amsterdam
Backed up vehicles waiting to pass
An engineer who wishes to remain unnamed, told this newspaper he doubted that any major work will be done on the East Bank road “because the water is right over there,” pointing to the Berbice river. He explained that when the water is high in the river, it seeps under the road and gets into the residential area. He said that what this means is that the foundation of the road is too weak to take major repairs. “If you dig six inches down you will find water there. So… you can’t do any major rehabilitation. The river is too close. And they don’t have any sea [river] defence.”
The people have a right to protest, and how come the police didn’t lock up these protesters, i’m sure they didn’t get a permit to protest, that goes to show how vindictive the govt led gpf dealt with mark, lincoln, and norris for protesting.
The big difference is one group was trying to create dissent and division. One group is concerned with quality of life.
These people protesting for something to benefit all. Dem three were just looking for publicity.
That’s all you guys do make excuse, yes the only publicity they are looking for is the rights of the guyanese people, to live free from discrimination and marginalization, from a govt which has been linked with known drug dealers, and the high crime rate that alot of you guys scared to return home and live under this same govt who you so praises. Why aren’t you guys flocking to go back to guyana and live if it was all that good over there, but you rather to make excuses from a distance for an inept govt.
amen-ra…i thought yuh gone up to de UN again today to do two other protest..ehehehehehe…de teck yuh foto yesterday huh???? hehehehehehe….dont be missin from here yea…i gon miss yuh….keep up de UN protest man….
Ever since I used to traverse that piece of road on the EBB by bicycle and in some intrepid motor vehicles, it has always been a problem. Lack of maintenance, or maybe it’s too close to the river.
LIKE DE EAST BANK ROAD USED TO WASH AWAY IN DE DEMARARA RIVA…
BUT DAT WAS SINCE BANUM BANNED ROAD MATERIALS:::::TELL WE DE DATE WEN YUH UESD TO RIDE AN DRIVE DEH:::AND DEN TELL WE IF DEM PEOPL CUD AH PROTEST BACK DEN…..
Sorry, I forgot to tell the year, it was in the late 80s I used to ride up thataway. Even today the driving still requires good strong truck-size shock absorbers. And it was same for the Black Bush Polder road. Going in to take a look when I go back soon. The more things change the more they remain the same.
wonder if these people protest during the phencee administration reign, however the ppp will fix it. 2011 is near and you guys must not forget on election day. eheheheheheherheh……
VOTES IN THE PPP COFFER. eheheheheh.
DEM LUCKY…IF WE PEE N C WAS IN POWA WE WUD AH DONE FIX DUH TING WID CO-CO-NUT SHELL N HUSK JUST LIKE OW WE USED TO FIX OM UP BACK IN DE DAYS WEN WE WAS IN POWA:::::U WUD AH NEVA SEE PROTEST::::LONG LIVE PEE N SEE…..EHEHEHEHEHEHEHE
I wonder how many of those protesters who blocked traffic were arrested. Why the difference in treatment in Berbice as compared with Georgetown?
Bora man you aint reading what the good and decent minister rohee said? he said the law was being applied equally why you have to point out these inaccuracies and mek de man look bad.
Ow like you out to get this PPP government man, you not being fair the ppp aint do you nuthing why you have to be so nasty to the ppp and the residents of pville?
See Space lugnut I am defending your ministeeers, see, I am a good little boy.
The difference is real versus sham.
and yet anada protest hahahahahahahahaha…….
and yall seh dis administratian is dictator….
protest here there everywhere…..woooooooooooooooooooooo….
cack eye how tings up dere in canada? you still frozen from de winta?
awww cack eye glad you asked..couldnt be better man…so hows things there….oh yea man i done thaw aff aready since its summer time now..ehehehehehe
Continue widespread protest across the country,you would see how quick things would get done,the PPP only acts when you protest,they don’t want dialogue,the time for dialogue has long gone,only when this government is in a jam then they want dialogue other than that to hell with you,all the talk about stakeholders is a sham to keep the opposition quiet,wake up smell the stench coming out of the brickdam lockups my friends.
28 years and burnham never fix it, cry babies, go and protest with them.
17 years and jagdeo never fix it, cry babies dont protest against the poo poo poo
The road is porous and cannot take any major rehabilitation,,,so clear all the protestors off the streets and fix it temporarily as the chairman is doing and relocate all these people…
These must clearly not be PPP supporters or else surely better roads would be provided eh Reddy?
According to the recent article, I do not think the PNCR is left with more than 200 supporters so the remainder belongs to the PPPC… This represent a handful that are best in street protests…
Now these residents have a legitimate reason to protest, Mark Benshop and his buddies should have been there protesting with them.
What about HOLDING BACK on TAX and RATES! these people just cannot take your money to do what ever pleases them and continue with ther empty promises.