Dear Editor,
The roads constructed around and within south-east Cummings Lodge are of a very poor standard. One very visible example is the road just east of the University of Guyana. The road was in the making for over five years’ the people anxiously waited for the road but then it did not even survive a year. The best part of it is that the government did make any bridge for the people of south-east Cummings Lodge so they could benefit from the use of the road. The bridges there were constructed by residents of the community. Maybe the road was not built for us. The road constructed on the eastern side of Cummings Lodge has a similar story. However this road was built with access to the community, although the bridge linking this road to the Industry Crown Dam road was not built by the government neither was it upgraded or repaired when the road was finished.
Again this bridge was built by the people. These bridges were not built to take any kind of pressure or with any engineering expertise. This bridge is currently under water and access is restricted. After the contractor’s heavy vehicle used the bridges to get material in there was nothing much of a bridge left. One needs ask what the purpose of the road is when you cannot go anywhere on it.
The road on the eastern side was also in the making for several years and only hurriedly completed for the last elections.
It was observed that SN carried an article on January 28, 2008 about road construction and the works in this area.
Well road construction is still going on and for how much longer one can only guess. Probably it may finish in time for the next elections. The journalist interviewed some people (who by the way have no knowledge about road construction) saying how happy they were. The people are so deprived they would be happy without being concerned about the standard and quality and how long the road would take. The journalist did not carry out any check or make any comment about the quality of the work. It does not take an expert but someone with commonsense to see sub-standard work. I suggest the journalist revisit and write a follow-up article, for there is much to be written about and they could have a first-hand view of the work. Maybe some pictures could be taken for publication in the papers.
There was about three months dry weather just before the December rainy season started, but no work was done on the road. Then just as the rainy season started, the contractors resumed work. They only work in the rainy season. To apply the tar and granite the sand needs to be dry; however, currently this is being done when the road is very wet.
I think the media should not visit road construction sites at the beginning, but when road construction is in progress, and again one year after it has finished to see if there is any road still in existence.
The media have a role to play. Make an effort and visit now or else we will punish.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
