Dear Editor,
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has taken note of a few complaints published in the media over the past two days with regards to street lights in various areas and wish to shed some light in this regard.
A column in the Kaieteur Newspaper on Sunday 17th November, 2019, claimed that the street lights above the traffic signals at the Rupert Craig Highway and UG Road have not been functioning for four years. It was claimed that a similar situation existed on the Railway Embankment from UG Road to Sheriff Street where only four lights are functioning.
These are gross exaggerations; however, the Ministry has taken note of the complaints in addition to their own observations and wishes to acknowledge that these deficiencies are engaging the attention of the responsible technical teams as they seek to resolve the various technical and logistical challenges that have caused a delay in their responses. Additional attention will be given to these complaints.
On another matter, a civilian voiced his concern with regards to the absence of necessary traffic control devices, such as signs and warning lights along the East Coast Demerara expansion site.
The Ministry would like to thank the public-spirited citizen for this feedback and would like to assure the general public that with the conclusion of the expansion these signals will be installed.
In a Guyana Times article, published on November 18, 2019 under the headline ‘Christianburg residents decry lack of street lights’, it was indicated that “While the Government is placing emphasis on installing street light along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, residents in the mining town are complaining bitterly about insufficient street light in their communities.”
The Ministry would like to first of all acknowledge the concerns of the residents and highlight that because of this appreciation for the challenges of Linden, support was granted in the donation of over 200 street lights to Linden earlier this year to brighten up their communities even though community lights are the responsibility of the Linden Town Council and not the Ministry.
The Linden Highway which is a direct responsibility of the Ministry has had sections which have been pitch-dark for many years, resulting in numerous accidents, as highlighted by this said newspaper before. The Ministry has therefore committed resources to this project to play their part in protecting the lives of our Guyanese citizens while supporting the development of Linden.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure would like to thank the citizens who remain vigilant and the media who report these issues and all its responses, that it remains committed to conducting its duties in the best interest of all Guyanese and our dear land of Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Davina Ramdass,
Public Relations Officer,
Ministry of Public Infrastructure
