Dear Editor,
Letters have been written ad nauseam on transportation problems in Guyana, apparently to no positive effect.
In colonial days even though there were fewer people in the then British Guiana, there was a variety of forms of transportation. Reminiscing on those days there were railway systems for the East and West Coasts of Demerara; a ferry from Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop; large buses for Georgetown, East Coast, Essequibo and elsewhere; river boats for the Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice rivers as well as the North West; also there were hire cars, especially in Georgetown.
With the advent of independence, there were drastic changes; the railway system was abandoned, the franchise for the Motor Transport Company was withdrawn and other large buses were introduced, eventually giving way to minibuses. The Georgetown-Linden highway replaced the RH Carr. We then had the Demerara Harbour Bridge, while the Georgetown/Vreed-en-Hoop ferry was suspended under the pretext that the Demerara estuary needed to be dredged. Meanwhile the speedboats were introduced and scores of persons are condemned to make a hazardous trip across the river.
After forty-eight years of independence, we do not have adequate, reliable transportation, especially during the daily rush hours. There is need for both minibuses and large buses on a permanent basis. There ought to be a well-organized and regulated bus service with a time chart as obtains in other societies.
One would remember that prior to the 2011 election Dr Bharrat Jagdeo promised that the PPP if re-elected would like to have a railway system. Maybe private investors would be interested in this venture. What about reinstating the Georgetown/Vreed-en-Hoop ferry? Better roads for the large number of heavy vehicles are compulsory. A new harbour bridge is being planned.
Finally, there must be a much enlarged traffic department of professional policemen. What has become of the recently-appointed traffic wardens? The public consensus is that some cops are incompetent and corrupt. Let us hope this is not true. We in Guyana should compare and contrast our social services with those of our Caribbean counterparts in an effort to improve our systems.
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Maynard
