Cops probing East Bank traffic mishap

Linden Isles
Linden Isles

Traffic police in ‘A’ Division have launched an investigation into the mishap which resulted in a massive traffic jam along the East Bank of Demerara Public Road on Sunday afternoon, after a part of a mud pump fell from a truck.

Traffic Chief Linden Isles yesterday told Stabroek News that investigators are probing to determine whether faulty packing was responsible for the incident.

“We are investigating to see if there was faulty packing because that is an offence… The driver was questioned as a part of the investigation,” Isles said, while adding that the truck driver was released on station bail

The Traffic Chief further indicated that upon the completion of the investigation the police will be seeking legal advice on the matter to determine if it is necessary to institute charges.

Traffic along the East Bank Public Road was snared for over two hours on Sunday afternoon after the piece of equipment fell from a container truck at McDoom. The huge piece of equipment, which is part of a mud pump used in oil and gas operations, is registered to Schlumberger, the largest oil services provider in the world.

Stabroek News was told that the piece of equipment was not properly secured on the truck. As a result it fell off while the driver was navigating a turn at McDoom. Two forklifts were utilised to lift the piece of equipment back unto the trailer.

The piece of machinery was reportedly destined for the Guyana Shore Base logistics yard at Houston.

An email sent on Sunday remained to Schlumberger spokeswoman Susan Ganz for a comment on the incident unanswered yesterday.

Hundreds of commuters heading into the city were forced to walk from wherever they were stuck to Mandela Avenue, where they sought other means to reach their respective destinations.