Interviews and photos by Dacia Whaul and Arian Browne
Warren Browne- Taxi driver from Mackenzie
`Well, concerning the traffic offences, on behalf of taxi drivers, I would like the Police Officers to enforce the law against jaywalking. Pedestrians are walking recklessly and if a driver hits them, we get the wrong. And we also asking for public education programmes conducted by the traffic police… we want the Linden and Wismar roads to be looked after because every inch you drive is a pot-hole. We need the government to come in and check up on things here in Linden.’
Kofi Paul – Driver from Mackenzie
`‘The roads definitely need to be rectified. We need jobs… youths are on the road doing nothing. I also think that Bosai is not doing enough for this community… we need improved infrastructure in this town, because without roads, we can’t get anything.’
Tony Adams – Taxi driver from Wismar
`The traffic is congested when crossing the Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge. No one wants to wait on the lights, except when the police are present… and Bai Shan Lin destroying the roads… this is the gateway to certain parts of Guyana and on that note we need about two more major companies in Linden. We have an aluminum plant just sitting there… we need a lot of projects in Linden, we have bright people in Linden that can take up jobs if they are presented… but we strong in this town, plus we still waiting for a lot of things we were promised by the present administration. And another thing affecting us is that there is no family oriented place in Linden when you want to take out your family.’
Gladwin Webster- Businessman from Wisroc
`I would particularly mention that I believe that we are at the short end of the stick, where the present administration is concerned. One of the reasons is that, they know we don’t have the means to provide jobs for those available to work. For instance, People with a trade can’t find a job, students leaving school with qualifications can’t find jobs as well…
Now, in terms of infrastructure, our roads are in a critical and bad state. A couple years ago the government built roads, but the roads were substandard, they know it wouldn’t last but they just did it…
And in terms of our markets, we have a situation whereby vehicles from out of Linden are coming in and selling their produce cheaper than Lindeners and it is very hard to compete with them.
Lastly, I would like the government to look after the hospital (Linden Hospital Complex)… they never have prescribed medication. When the doctors prescribe the medication the dispensary never has the medication to give you and we are supposed to be having a state-of-the-art hospital?’
Devon Marshall – Boat Captain from Silver City
`People don’t have money to travel over the river… they need to open up more businesses in Linden because people don’t have money to spend and it affecting my line of business… I think we should forget the politics and boost up Linden… this whole country. Look for example, next year is world cup (football) and they ain’t doing nothing on the Guyana-Brazil Bridge… nice up the country and forget about the politics.’
Ian Jacobis – `There is a lot of unemployment t in Linden, we need jobs. Another issue affecting me is the colour of the water we getting… it brown.’
Vishnu Ramdeholl – Driver from Mackenzie
`’Well, Linden people ain’t getting jobs. Things real tight… sometimes whole day you spend out here and not a single drop… The roads bad too and it damaging up your tyres especially by forestry corner.’
Bibi Cherida Ally – Housewife form Bamia on the Linden Highway
`Four years now I living on the highway and the only thing affecting me is that government promised light and water in the Bamia Creek area and we ain’t get it yet… we have to depend on the rain and the creek.’
Eileen Thomas-Vendor from Block 22
`We need better roads, solid roads… the road they making biscuit thin… and jobs, we need jobs in Linden, young people leaving school with certificate and have no jobs… they need jobs and jobs with proper benefits.’
Leon Thomas- Farmer from Block 22
`Linden wants assistance in the agriculture sector. People who have the tools to do the job, don’t know how to do the job and people who know how to do the job, don’t have the tools or resources to do the job. Well if the government gives out land to farmers, they will farm. I am a farmer my whole life and if I could get a couple acres of land up Mabura or Five Mile to farm on, it would be nice… agriculture will provide jobs that is needed because I would be able to work for myself and employ a few young people…
Another problem is that outsiders coming into Linden to sell their goods and giving the farmers from the Upper Demerara area a hard time in getting their goods sold because they selling cheaper and the people buying out their goods. I think that is unfair and that somebody should look into it.’