-but heavy-duty trucks still an issue
Residents of Lamaha Gardens in Georgetown can now breathe a sigh of relief as their damaged roads have been repaired by the Ministry of Public Works. The roads, previously marred by heavy truck traffic, were resurfaced and speed bumps were added to manage traffic flow.
Stabroek News visited the area and observed the improvements.
On Wednesday, May 17, residents of Lamaha Gardens and surrounding areas, held a roadside meeting with Mayor Alfred Mentore to discuss ongoing traffic concerns. They also requested that the mayor petition to have the area become a gated community, and he responded that he would attempt to lobby the council and central government to see if changes can be made.
Stabroek News spoke with resident, Michelle Rockcliffe, who shared that although the road has been repaired there is still a lot of traffic in the area “The road has been fixed- very nicely; however without the speed issue being addressed, big trucks still plough through the neighborhood causing noise and dangerous conditions.” She stated that within a 12-hour period, over 400 commercial trucks passed through the area, and consequently, the noise nuisance issue continues. “The vibrations and noise persist and can only be improved with a reduced speed limit.” Rockcliffe expressed the hope that the mayor successfully lobbies to have the remaining issues fixed as soon as possible.
Another resident, Leon Williams, told Stabroek News, “The traffic is a whole lot worse; this used to be a quiet area.” Although he doesn’t mind the cars coming through the area, the trucks are the main contenders that cause trouble, as, “early in the morning there is no regard for speed bumps, all the houses vibrating.” He expressed his appreciation at the road being redone but fears that this would only encourage more lawlessness by the trucks within the area and this would eventually lead to the road deteriorating just as quickly as it was built. Williams also noted that the traffic build up by the cars also poses some challenges. “In the space of four hours about 1,200 vehicles pass through here, I can’t even reverse out in the morning to take my child to school.”
At the roadside meeting mayor Mentore had stated “This area is a residential zone, and it has conveyances that bind the transport.” He also expressed concern that diverted traffic passing through Lamaha Gardens is damaging the roads.
Residents had also expressed dismay at the disruption caused by the increased traffic, noting that the vibrations from the heavy trucks have started to cause cracks to appear in the walls of their homes, compounding the road damage issues, but with the roads now fixed they still hope for the remaining issue of the speeding trucks to be addressed.
