The Guyana Police Force has stated that there have been no complaints of businesses being placed on sidewalks at Anna Regina while reminding that such complaints are a matter for the Mayor and Town Council there.
Following a letter in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News, where a parent raised concerns about businesses taking over the sidewalks at Anna Regina, Region Two, the Regional Commander, Superintendent Denise Griffith, pointed out that the police do not handle these matters. In the letter titled “Mr. President fix this lawlessness before a child dies needlessly,” and signed by a concerned parent of Anna Regina, the writer appealed on behalf of teachers and parents of the town, to the president, after outreaches to ministers, officials and bureaucrats proved futile. The writer stated that the town, which houses several schools, also contains structures allegedly built by business owners, on the sidewalks of the roads in the town, posing a safety hazard to children and other pedestrians.
This newspaper made several efforts to contact Chairperson of Region Two, Vilma DeSilva via her Facebook page, however up to press time she had not responded. Meanwhile W/Superintendent Griffith told Stabroek News that there was a complaint about a man who had several bicycles blocking the pavement. However when the police visited the location, the bicycles had already been removed. She explained that the police can only go to ascertain the reason for the blocking of the pavement and if those persons involved have permission to use the location then they cannot make any arrests or have the persons removed from the area. However, she said, there were no complaints reaching her about persons building structures on the sidewalk. She also reminded that such a complaint should be sent to the Town Council rather than the police.
According to the parent, “The government has provided very ample sidewalks to accommodate this need and to create a safe and orderly environment for our students and the public. However the greedy, inconsiderate, and lawless behavior of most of the large businesses along the Anna Regina main road has nullified the safety and order the government has provided to these students.” He/she noted that the sidewalks were fine before the businesses decided to take over the sidewalk. The parent further alleged that the businesses have placed permanent enclosure structures over the sidewalks and these structures deny the public unencumbered passage which means persons have to use the roads to walk past, thus facing oncoming traffic.
The parent then went on to say that it is “mindboggling” that businesses would do such a thing knowing the danger it imposes on the public. Furthermore, the letter stated, “How can the government so casually place citizens at risk like this? This is an ongoing situation for several years now, and it has been getting progressively worst. I am surprised no one has yet been killed in an automobile accident. Perhaps this is what it will take for the government to get up and rectify this atrocious state of affairs.”
