Dear Editor,
As the country approaches local government elections (LGE), it is imperative that the constituents be informed about the positions of the parties contesting, and about individuals running for seats under the first past the post (FPTP) component. Stabroek News seems to be helping with the dissemination of this information by interviewing these candidates and publishing their plans for the city. But this is where it becomes depressing. With all the problems the city is facing, these contestants can only address minor issues such as drains and alleyways.
Whether candidates are on a proportional representation (PR) list or FPTP, persons elected are expected to govern the entire city.
The major problem facing the city is congestion from vehicular traffic. Where’s the big vision to resolve this? Does no one see the inconsistency of a modern and green city, and animals roaming its roads and animal-drawn carts still providing transportation? How will this be tackled? What is the justification for the city operating a daycare centre and municipal markets? How are violations to its by-laws, such as those of zoning, to be monitored and rectified? And what about the ubiquitous mounds of sand and mud, no longer needed but left to litter parapets and prevent proper runoff of water from roads to drains.
Congestion can be solved by terminating all bus traffic from the East Coast and East Bank at a bus park built where this traffic intersects ‒ D’Urban Park, which can also contain car-parking and government services that people travel to the city to access.
Congestion can be tackled by encouraging the private sector to construct high-rise parking, and incentivizing these efforts by severely restricting street parking. With respect to stray animals and animal-drawn carts, these have to be phased out over a very short period of time. To prevent increasing the population of mange-infested dogs roaming our streets, holding owners responsible for their pets through a licensing programme would produce results. And a lot of transgressions can be detected and corrective action taken by reintroducing sanitary inspectors assigned to each and every constituency.
Unless there are common-sense solutions to the numerous problems plaguing the city from those who want to be councillors, I intend to keep my distance from the polling booth on Election Day, and so should others.
Yours faithfully,
Louis Holder
