Dear Editor,
I happened upon a News Room article (June 26, 2022) which mentioned the possibility of widening the railway embankment road from Sheriff Street to Enmore to accommodate 4 lanes of traffic. While it is good to see that officers from the Ministry of Public Works have recognized the need for more roads on the East Coast corridor, I appeal to them to reconsider the widening of this road. The existing carriageway which allows for 2 lanes of traffic is flanked by mostly residential areas. Currently persons living there are bombarded by traffic noise day and night from large trucks, minibuses, motorcycles and cars compounded with excessive use of horns and loud music from just 2 lanes of traffic. Added to this is the high prevalence of dust and exhaust fumes from the vehicles utilizing the road.
Expanding the railway embankment to 4 lanes will only intensify the noise, dust and exhaust pollution to persons living nearby. It will also result in a high-speed roadway being dangerously close to persons’ residences since there will be little or no buffer between the roadway and their homes. For the health and safety of residents, a better solution may be to increase the amount of 2- lane roads leading out of the East Coast of Demerara rather than over burden the existing roads to move higher volumes of traffic.
Thank you,
Zorina Gafoor