Having lost confidence in the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the World Cup and appointing its own management for the stadium, it is quite likely that the International Cricket Council-Cricket World Cup Inc (ICC-CWC) will have ongoing concerns about preparedness within and without the stadium for the games and so should all Guyanese.
In the two days before the bowl off at the Providence Stadium we would urge the government and the committee headed by Prime Minister Sam Hinds to pay very careful attention to the utility services and traffic and emergency medical arrangements for game days. Guyana is on show and any blunder will dent its image and prospects of cashing in on the world cup. Wherever these failings occur, whether at the level of the LOC or some other body, as long as we know about them they will be reported by the Stabroek News. The duty of the newspaper is to tell it like it is and the public expects no less.
Over the last two weeks there have been embarrassing shutdowns and cut-offs affecting both of the major utilities – the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Guyana Water Inc (GWI). While the arrangements at the stadium and stand alone facilities may take care of its needs satisfactorily on game days, it would be horrendous for tourists, returning Guyanese, teams, officials and media to land in the middle of a total power shutdown in the Demerara system or to face taps that provide no water. But this is exactly what occurred over the last two weeks. GPL experienced a total shutdown in Demerara that left some parts of the city in darkness for hours while GWI suffered a power-related problem last Tuesday. At least one private hospital found itself in a bind with no running water and nurses and others having to fetch buckets.
Presumably the results of the `Royal flush’ will be evaluated to determine whether we should feel flushed with success about our sewerage system. There is no equivalent thus far of a `Royal ring’ but telephonic and internet services to the stadium and city will be another benchmark of success and we urge the PM and his team to address this matter.
Perhaps, we have moved beyond the stage of embarrassment with the traffic lights. For years now, members of the public have been clamouring for the government to do something about it. Which self-respecting city will undertake the task of hosting the Rio summit of South and Central American leaders and now the most prestigious event ever to grace its streets without ensuring that traffic lights are all in place and properly tested? Georgetown takes that dubious honour. And it is not the whipping boy city council that should take the blame. It is the government and the Ministry of Works and Communication. While non-functional lights will be a great cause for puzzlement among visitors, more importantly they pose a huge accident risk that many Guyanese can attest to. Whichever city junctions are not serviced in time, traffic police should man them continuously.
Traffic arrangements on game days will pose many challenges for East Bank commuters and fray nerves. The absolute dependence on a single artery for this major traffic hub will no doubt cause city planners to begin the task of finding an event]ual long-term solution. For now, only the western lane will be open to general traffic. Given the road hog culture that has been pervasive, we envisage that commuters will have to confront multiple lines and impatient buses lurching in and out of traffic and sneaking through tight spaces to get ahead. Traffic police must blanket this area to ensure orderliness and there should be numerous turn-off points on the western carriageway to deal with errant drivers and legitimate queries about persons wanting to access areas in the prohibited zone.
Yesterday morning’s showers will stir concerns about Guyana’s reputation for being a cricket rainmaker. Presumably the new management of the stadium would have tested the efficacy of the drainage mechanism to ensure that rain interruptions are limited. Unless there is an uninhibited and direct outfall to the Demerara River, the drainage at the stadium will also depend on the state of facilities outside of it and this is where the government and the neighbourhood democratic councils must ensure that there is 100% efficiency in the operation of infrastructure there.
There are many other areas which the government will no doubt be working feverishly on such as the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri but there is one that requires special comment: security. The shocking murder of Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer in his Jamaican Pegasus hotel room has uncanny parallels to an incident here in December 2005. Then, a USAID contractor was murdered in his Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel room and was only discovered the following day by cleaners. Investigators have since been stumped in their probe because closed circuit television (CCTV) could only provide grainy images of the alleged perpetrator. Presumably the local security committee has already liaised with all of the hotels hosting the teams, officials and media on the general arrangements for tightened security in the wake of the Woolmer murder and has already focused on areas such as the quality of CCTV images.
The spurt in city crime and continuing incidents on the East Bank also mandate that the PM’s committee does everything within its power to mobilize the requisite resources to maintain law and order and to coordinate seamlessly with the regional security apparatus.
In the aftermath of the games there will be enough time to dissect what went wrong at the level of the LOC and other such things. In the meanwhile, each and every Guyanese must do all within their ability to make these games a success: from not littering to extending help to lost tourists and just simply offering a pleasant hello or that warm smile. We extend a heartfelt welcome to visitors and teams that have already arrived for the games. May the best teams go forward to the next round!