Traffic lights on Vlissengen Road near North Road in Georgetown that have been inoperable for some time are expected to become operational in January of 2023 says a Ministry of Public Works engineer.
In a phone interview with the ministry’s electrical engineer, Nigel Butts, Stabroek News learnt that his department will be collaborating with the Traffic Safety/Maintenance Division, to do some geometric improvement.
“We have installed a new controller base and that is to facilitate the installation of a new American-made traffic controller along with the backup system that allows the signal to work during a power outage. Work is ongoing but the bulk of it would be completed in January.”
Stabroek News had visited the area and observed the ongoing installation of the new system which confirmed the statement by a Ministry of Public Works employee that the installation is underway.
The traffic lights on Vlissengen Road between Church Street and North Road have not been functioning for quite some time, and this has resulted in the daily disruption of traffic at peak hours.
Ministry of Public Works, Electrical Engineer, Nigel Butts, had told this newspaper that the inoperable traffic lights on Vlissengen Road between Church Street and North Road had been vandalized.
In a telephone interview with Stabroek News, the engineer previously explained that the batteries for the traffic lights at the aforementioned intersection were stolen. These signals are only one of several sets around the city that are defunct, and in some cases, for more than a year.
He also mentioned that there are many other lights that were vandalized, in areas such as Camp Street, Eccles, and Sheriff Street. Further, the perpetrators in most instances removed the batteries and the backup photovoltaic (solar panels) power supply system.
