Dear Editor,
The Government often touts its extensive and expensive infrastructure projects as one of its key achievements. Yet despite billions of dollars being spent each year, the quality of road management remains deplorable and dangerous, contributing significantly to the high level of accidents and deaths on our roads.
Every month, about a thousand new vehicles are added to our roads, a large number of them converging daily on the capital city. This influx, compounded by poorly maintained infrastructure, is causing unbearable traffic jams costing countless man-hours, wastes fuel, and further harms the environment. Many of the commercial vehicles, too large for the narrow, deteriorating roads, contribute to the worsening road and traffic situation. The absence of proper planning and management to accommodate this growing traffic volume is glaring.
Just after 6 pm this past Sunday (a non-working, non-school day), I experienced firsthand the unacceptable state of road conditions between Waterloo Street in Georgetown, where I work, and Ogle on the lower East Coast Demerara, where I live. Along Carifesta Avenue, only a couple of streetlights were functioning, leaving much of the road in darkness. On the East Coast Highway, the medians are poorly marked, forcing drivers to navigate treacherous conditions, compounded by oncoming vehicles blinding them with high beams. I even had to turn on my hazard lights due to the poor visibility and dangers on the road!
The situation on the Railway Embankment Road from Turkeyen to Ogle is even worse. Potholes and unevenness are common, large unlit vehicles are parked on both sides, encroaching on the roads, while the traffic lights at the junction of Embankment Road and Ogle Airstrip Road have been non-functional for several days. To make matters worse, the Airstrip Road itself is in a terrible state of disrepair.
Meanwhile, our political leaders, who are quick to celebrate multi-billion-dollar road projects, are chauffeured around, some with sirens, and seem uncaring of the everyday frustrations faced by the average road user. They remain detached from the reality of those who navigate these poorly managed roads daily. Despite all the funds spent, it is clear that the core issues — maintenance, proper planning, and traffic management — are being neglected, by all state agencies involved.
New roads alone, without proper management, will not solve the growing crisis. The Office of the President, where much of the planning resides, along with the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Housing, and the police, must bear responsibility for the consequences of their poor planning, coordination, and execution. The State, through its incompetence, failures, and inattention, is directly responsible for the hazards that road users face daily. I urge the relevant authorities to not only focus on building new roads but to ensure the effective management, maintenance, and long-term planning of our existing infrastructure. Immediate action is critical to prevent further loss of life, productivity, and resources. It is time the authorities address these issues so that the citizens of this country no longer have to suffer in silence.
Finally, I take this opportunity to appeal to my fellow citizens, who daily endure similar challenges in other parts of the country, to speak out and let our politicians hear their voices. If we fail to act, we will have no one but ourselves to blame when this crisis turns into a permanent nightmare.
This letter is being sent to the Office of the President, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Housing, and the police to ensure that those in positions of responsibility are directly informed of the concerns raised, and more importantly, will act on them.
Sincerely,
Christopher Ram