Triumph residents threaten to block potholed road

Residents of Republic Drive, Triumph, East Coast Demerara are threatening to close off the road, saying it may be the only way to persuade the authorities to fix it.

According to residents, the road began rapidly deteriorating some three years ago when contractors started driving their heavy-duty vehicles on it, causing the already deteriorating street to sink and then crumble.

“It is deplorable and impassible and they use their big machines to go in and out and when it break, they don’t do anything to fix it and as a result the state of the road is like this,” a resident stated. “Since Shawn (only name given), Rahim son, come in here and start driving all he big trucks and them low bed this road started to break up and when you talk to he, is like you throwing water on duck back,” another said.

The residents added that they were tired and fed up of contacting regional authorities to look into the matter.

There is no maintenance work being done in the area, they said, and while they had threatened to block the road yesterday, they did not act on the threat.

When Stabroek News visited the area on Thursday, it was observed that the road was peppered with potholes, while the roadside and canal were thick with vegetation. There was a privately-owned bulldozer and hymac repairing a large hole that was caused when a truck transporting a load of sand got stuck.

The sand truck that was stuck in a pothole at Republic Drive, Triumph ECD

As a result of the potholes, the truck got stuck for approximately two hours.

The sand had to be deposited on the road, then the truck was hauled out of the hole by another truck assisted by the hymac.

The sand that was being transported was left on the road and later used to refill the hole.

Residents said the episode highlighted their grave concerns, since it showed how weak the foundation of the road is and the risk it poses to its users.

“Just this morning before the truck stick up there, a bus get fasten and them boys had to come and push it out,” another resident stated.

These young men help push out a minibus that was stuck in a pothole on the road at Republic Drive, Triumph ECD

Adding to their woes, the residents say for approximately four years their main drainage canal has not been cleared.

They said this was neglect by the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) that needs addressing. They added that whenever complaints are made to the NDC about the canals, they are only given promises.

The residents are calling on the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Public Works to look into their situation before it gets much worse and render their assistance. Efforts to contact the Chairman of the NDC proved futile.

The hole left after the truck transporting sand was removed from the potholed road
A section of the potholed Republic Drive, Triumph ECD