Dear Editor,
On Friday, May 31, there was a reference in Kaieteur News that the reserve opposite Lamaha Street is going to be used as a ‘temporary’ car park for certain businesses.
When this first came to my attention, I held my peace for fear that it may be said that the Mayor is always attacking and opposing this administration. But hearing the worst of distortions on Channel 65 shortly thereafter from Minister Ganga Persaud the public should know the truth.
First, it is clear this act of ‘temporary’ parking by the state represents very poor planning and a proclivity for doing things to serve the nouveau riche and the PPP/C political allies whatever things cost. The absurdity of this recent ‘temporary’ parking facility is patent.
Citizens will recall that when the squatters were moved from the Railway embankment (which is where this temporary parking for the ‘big ones’ will be) we were told it was because GPL high voltage lines would run along this area so it was unsafe for human activity. How true. We all welcomed this move, but now how come the same area is being prepared for parking?
Next, this area even though a reserve is within the boundaries of the City of Georgetown, yet there was not one bit of consultation or even the basic courtesy to inform the Georgetown municipality. These are the hypocrites who shout about a return to democracy.
A renowned town planner, Professor Akbar Khan, spent several months here, and after consultations with all stakeholders, he produced the Georgetown Development Plan 2001-2010.
The Cabinet with one unfortunate deletion from those recommendations accepted this well-done plan. This administration has done nothing to implement the vital recommendations intended to secure the integrity of our capital city – a clear attempt to punish the citizens of Georgetown for only giving the ruling party 27% of their votes.
The development plan took account of the need to ease congestion in the capital. I’ve said it before but will repeat it: an earlier recommendation required that every new developer in Georgetown, in collaboration with the Mayor and City Council should provide adequate parking for their staff and customers. When this recommendation was advanced by us at a Cabinet meeting to which a delegation from the Mayor and City Council had been invited, we were told such would be a disincentive to business – end of story, so congestion prevails. Additionally certain areas were identified for the parking of public transportation vehicles, etc. Many of those areas have been sold. We now have a congested city and it will become worse and produce ad hoc arrangements such as the railway embankment.
I need not remind citizens that the Ministry of Works without consultation took away the money-making car park we operated for years east of the Stabroek Market and also the speedboat facility we had off the Stabroek Market Stelling. Revenue from that activity would have been used to maintain the Stabroek Market Wharf, so we may soon have to close that area since it has become dangerous because of lack of money for maintenance.
They say “tell half – lef half” so now let’s have a comment from the relevant ministry or our Minister ‒ facts not fiction.
Speaking with an experienced GPL technician he expressed dismay that some set of ‘gurus’ should allow parking on the railway embankment; he confirmed it is dangerous for human activity.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green
Mayor
