Dear Editor,
Guyana’s evolution as a country venue for entertainment and tourism in the Caribbean region particularly during the months of June, July and August must be commended. Over the past months, we have seen several sporting championships, biking spectaculars, and music and entertainment events.
The extent of these events can be seen by the number of travellers into and out of Guyana, who proudly wear their badges of representation; from the teams from the Caribbean, the bikers with helmets from the biker’s fests as well as the bands and artistes from Jamzone. I happened to be on two outbound flights from Guyana and noted with great pride the visitors from Guyana and the almost celebrity treatment they all received as they left Guyana.
The most recent we all recall is ‘Jamzone Summer Break 2010,’ and I noted the increased support that the Jamzone organizers received from corporate Guyana and the government as well, in particular the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Guyana Police Force where the performers were given outriders reminiscent of a visiting foreign dignitary or even a cricket team. But as nature would have it, there must be some bad and good.
I highlight the good first so as not to be accused of only talking about the bad. What can be termed our Guyanese plight is that we are always talking about the bad things.
So here is the bad. In past years when one heard of an event like a concert or game at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, one expected that there would be some traffic inconvenience – ‘traffic jam.’ I particularly remember last year the traffic jams to get to the Jamzone events as well as to some cricket matches.
The Jamzone shows started at 8 pm, and though you could find yourself in a traffic jam from 8 to 10 pm, you eventually got there anyway. The point is that this was to get to the show. What was not expected was the traffic jam after the concert on the road to the stadium. The organizers seemed to have forgotten about those who might have to pass the stadium after the concert.
In the aftermath of a Jamzone concert on Saturday, August 21, it took almost one hour to traverse from the Demerara Harbour Bridge past the National Stadium. For those who had to meet to the airport for a 2.45 am check-in, the anxiety of the wait certainly woke them up, or kept them awake. I certainly hope that the young lady who was in the taxi in front of mine, only left the taxi fare with the driver and not any tufts of her hair, which she seemed to have been pulling with increased desperation as the minutes passed and the traffic crawled.
The point is that here in Guyana, we definitely need to give consideration to what happens after any event. We tend to forget about this. The extent of garbage after Mash or any Sunday seawall lime is a case in point. While those who leave would have had a wonderful time, we must also remember that others will come later the same or the day after and wonder what disaster there was in the area. I therefore say, let us keep the cycle of beauty both before and after the events.
To my Jamzone friends, keep up the work 10 years and counting. At the same time, however, make arrangements to deal with the latest event on your Jamzone calendar- The traffic Jamzone.
Yours faithfully,
Teni Housty
