Dear Editor,
I certainly had wondered if there was some mistake and I had been walking through Toronto’s Pearson Airport a few days ago, but realized that it was indeed a more improved Piarco Airport in Trinidad. The airport which does not come an inch close to ours back home at Timehri was like a giant shopping mall, to say the least.
Trinidad, a small island which could comfortably rest itself in Guyana over 44 times, has certainly had its fair share of development. The island gets more and more developed with each visit.
Skyscrapers now bedazzle the Port of Spain skyline with the magnificent Nicholas Towers among others which give the skyline the look of New York or some other fascinating North American city. The island also has the biggest shopping centre (mall) in the Caribbean.
For a country this small, one can see the strides and efforts that have been put into its development over the years. Our thin strip of coastline in Guyana, which the majority of our population inhabits, should have been developed to such standards as well. But sadly, years of corruption, mismanagement, and psychological dictatorship have ruined those chances. To add insult to injury, too, all our leaders ever think about is themselves, pointing fingers at each other, playing the ridiculous blame game, exhibiting childish behaviour in Parliament, and even withdrawing themselves completely from the national debates in the House. So can good ever come as a result of such behaviour?
I admire Trinidad’s public transport system most of all. The island, I believe, has a well organized system of moving people from one place to the next with ease and order. Maxi-taxis (sort of like our mini-buses back home), ply the rural routes, starting from TT$3. In the capital, there are bigger or ‘super’ maxis that take people to and from Port of Spain, starting from TT$5. I am talking about huge, spacious, comfortable air conditioned buses – no pushing and tugging, no harassing touts, no obscene music and language, no shouting from passengers within the bus as to where to stop (you simply press a buzzer) and most of all no ‘doubling’ and ‘tripling’ up. Each bus is lined up and only gets one step forward after the one in front is filled.
I believe Guyana has much to learn here. The authorities there must put the people and their comforts first then their egos second.
Sometimes it’s such a hassle travelling in Guyana and moving from one place to the next, because of the constant harassment of passengers by drivers, conductors and touts.
The PPP’s mantra is about building, building and more building, while the groundwork of basic services to the people is in shambles.
Trinidad is far better off than Guyana will ever be. Our leaders are the cause of that.
Yours faithfully,
Leon J Suseran
