Citing damage to key arteries, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) yesterday said that the government will crack down against overloaded mining trucks on interior roads.
Along with a statement yesterday, the ministry provided graphic images of huge mining trucks marooned on interior roads.
The statement said that last year, significant sums of monies were spent in the hinterland for the rehabilitation of roadways. It stated that $54.5M was spent in 2016 to repair the Puruni – Itaballi Corridor. This corridor is still under its maintenance period. Furthermore, in 2017, $100M was set aside to improve the Puruni – Pappishou Corridor.
The Ministry lamented that its efforts are being counteracted by operators of private mining or mining-related businesses who use overladen trucks on the roads and engage in other forms of misuse. As a result, the lifespan of these roadways have been significantly reduced.
The misuse of the roads is also in contravention of the Road Users’ Agreement signed by the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Natural Resources. The ministry asserted that road users must play their part by adhering to stipulations such as the prohibition of vehicles weighing more than 60 tons crossing the Itaballi -Puruni bridges. Additionally, the agreement notes that users shall be liable to Government for any damage to Government’s property caused by the negligent use of the roadways by their employees and/or their agents.
