Dear Editor,
I would like to bring to the attention of those in authority, an untenable, exasperating and in fact very hazardous situation that exists on the East Bank Demerara highway.
For some inexplicable reason, the Eccles/Ramsburg NDC, the Government Analyst-Food and Drugs Department, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards and the Guyana Police Force have decided to turn a blind eye to a pretty large bread vendor that operates on the shoulder of the eastern carriageway of the East Bank Highway just a few feet from the traffic lights that are positioned at the junction of the Demerara Harbour Bridge and the highway, that is if you are travelling in a north to south direction.
This itinerant vendor gives hundreds of motorists each day, traversing the East Bank Road, the opportunity to stop for a minute, to choose whether they need tennis rolls, hamburger or hotdog rolls, sliced or plait bread, white sandwich or whole wheat bread, and a selection of cheeses, sausages and condiments without ever having to park or get out of their vehicles. They just have to pull up in the eastern lane, ignore the honking vehicles behind, ignore the traffic lights and make their selection. It is like a bread vending version of the drive-thru supermarket, except drivers never have to leave the road.
To make matters even worse, this vendor becomes more industrious during the rush hour when persons are trying to get home, as clearly he places his profits much higher than road safety and the need for motorists to get where they are going in a timely manner. Just think about it, for every sixty drivers that inconsiderately stop for a minute to purchase his or her breakfast supplies, one hour is added on the travel time of those motorists behind them. This situation forces many drivers to divert to the western lane which is extremely dangerous because they are then entering the turning lane that leads to the Demerara Harbour Bridge even though it is not their intention to turn.
Sometimes the traffic police would place temporary no stopping signs in front of this delinquent bread vendor, but this is far from good enough, as he should not be allowed to squat there at any time of the day or night, and a permanent no stopping sign placed on that part of the roadway.
I hope that the authorities are not waiting for a major accident to occur at this very busy junction to do something about it.
Yours faithfully,
Deodarie Putulall
