Dear Editor,
The submerging of the Demerara Harbour Bridge leaves a lot of unanswered questions. There are many, many lessons to be learnt, and I do hope that those in authority learn quickly and put alternative systems in place for whenever there has to be a disruption. The lives of the thousands of commuters who use that bridge on a daily basis, many of whom depend on it for their livelihoods, are severely affected when it is not in operation.
It is difficult to understand why the Georgetown and the Vreed-en-Hoop ferry stellings were left to deteriorate over time, and the Minister of Works or the government did not anticipate that one day, this bridge which served all of us for more than three decades, for various reasons will have to be closed to vehicular traffic for major repairs, and we will all have to revert to the stellings aforementioned.
I am on record as saying that during this administration, the Transport and Harbours Department has been neglected, and because of this wilful neglect, it is mainly people who live in Regions One, Two, Three and Seven, because of their geographical location who are severely affected in a number of ways.
The navigational aids on the rivers of Guyana are no longer there; the channels have been left to become silted up; vessels are not properly maintained; and a host of other things that would cause serious disruption to the schedule of the services. When this occurs it is the producers (farmers) who suffer the most from not being able to get their produce mostly comprising perishable goods to the market place on time, thereby incurring losses.
This bridge has served well, and as it becomes more aged, more serious and frequent disruptions are anticipated. As such, the Vreed-en-Hoop and Georgetown ferry stellings must at all times be serviceable, so they can be used as an alternative route for the thousands of vehicles which would otherwise be left stranded.
The Marriot Hotel, the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, the road from Linden to Lethem and the New Demerara Harbour Bridge – which two or one of these projects will bring immediate social and economic benefits to the majority of the people of this country?
Yours faithfully,
Archie Cordis
AFC Councillor
Region 2
