Dear Editor,
The nightmarish traffic congestion experienced during peak hours on the East Bank, Demerara Harbour Bridge, and West Bank Demerara has now joined the long list of daily woes such as power outages, high taxes, unemployment, and crime in beautiful Guyana. The source of the problem is not new and is known by anyone familiar with current affairs. We all know that there has been an exponential expansion in the number of commuters who traverse between Georgetown and the new and existing housing settlements on the East Bank and West Demerara with their vehicles. This decision can be linked to the desire by many commuters to avoid the hassle associated with utilizing the public transportation system.
The traffic congestion problem will remain with us for a long time unless the policymakers move beyond cheap political gimmicks (such as bridging the Essequibo River) and implement appropriate measures. Commuters will also continue to be tormented by traffic congestion if policymakers employ quick fixes that are not data-driven. For example, the imposition of higher taxes on used vehicles and spares aimed at reducing the demand for vehicles and by extension, traffic congestion did not succeed. This is evident from the continuous rise in the demand for vehicles.
It might surprise many commuters that the solutions are contained in data-driven initiatives developed by the PPP/C administration but never implemented. It is not clear whether the current administration refused to implement these initiatives because they were ‘unbothered’ or simply lacked the will and capacity to do so. What is clear, however, is that the current administration sat on these solutions for more than four years while commuters were made to pay with their sanity and time in the chaotic traffic congestions.
A solution that is capable of producing immediate benefits is the Diamond to Ogle bypass road that the PPP/C received US$50m for from the Exim Bank of India to construct. This road was designed to provide an alternative corridor for commuters from Perseverance, Mocha, Providence, Eccles, and Peters Hall and a bypass from the City that would significantly reduce travel time between Georgetown and these villages to less than 25 minutes. To date, the only progress made concerning this project is the tripling of the price tag to US$175 million, and a promise that works on the road will commence soon.
The construction of a new four-lane fixed high-span bridge would also provide significant relief to those traversing between West Bank Demerara and the Eastern side of the existing harbour bridge. The PPP/C administration completed a pre-feasibility study. However, after more than four years, the only reported progress made by the current administration is the completion of a feasibility study. This study cost taxpayers G$143 million, but we are not sure if it will be used to advance this much-needed bridge.
Another solution that could ease the traffic congestion throughout the country is the outfitting of new and existing housing settlements with economic and social facilities. This solution will reduce the need by commuters to traverse between Georgetown and new/existing housing settlements outside the capital city. It was part of the new housing initiatives that were developed by the PPP/C. We are well aware of this government performance in the housing sector. The focus was limited to the repossession of house lots and the construction of townhouses. They are unable to understand that housing is more than providing shelter but a catalyst for development. It was for this reason, the housing initiatives undertaken by the PPP/C focused on the delivery of sanitation, water, electricity, educational services, health care, and economic opportunities and not just land to construct houses. The idea was to anchor residents in their communities by creating growth poles.
Editor, the solutions mentioned above, are staring us square in our faces. However, the current administration is blind to these solutions. Maybe they are not bothered by traffic congestions the same way they are unbothered about crime, unemployment, and other social and economic ills.
All the commuters who traverse the East Bank, Harbour Bridge, and West Bank during peak hours should acknowledge that the torment they endure is not by accident, but the refusal of the current administration to implement solutions that were waiting to be implemented.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address supplied)
