Dear Editor,
In an Oct. 9 letter in SN on the above referenced subject, Mr. Christopher Ram expressed the view that ‘road management remains deplorable and dangerous, contributing significantly to the high level of accidents and deaths on our roads’. He further claimed that the absence of proper planning and management to accommodate the growing number of vehicles using the roads only exacerbate the problem. These observations may well be so but they are just the tip of the iceberg as they relate to the traffic problems facing road users.
The Minister of Public Works on behalf of the Government approves the budget and programs for works undertaken by its Roads Division after priorities are set for execution. Road users have to abide by the road laws of Guyana which are enforced by the police and not the Ministry of Public Works.
The major road problems in Guyana occur in Georgetown (City) and its suburb. It handles over 90% of the country’s imports and exports and is the gateway for most Guyanese travelling overseas and to interior communities. The majority of roads/streets in the City and its suburb are managed, maintained and operated by the City Council. Therefore, management of the facilities to move and accommodate traffic in and out of the City is a major problem since agreement needed for improvements have to be approved by the City Council and the Central Government including a clear understanding as to who pays for what and have control.
Secondly, all the roads entering the City do not have the land space necessary to increase/widen their carriageways in order to accommodate the thousands of vehicles entering the system every year. Hence, law enforcement will have to play a greater role to ensure that road users comply with the laws governing speed and load limits, vehicles’ fitness etc. The maintenance section of the Roads Division of the Ministry of Public Works is responsible to plug the potholes, fix any surface unevenness, drain the roads and carry out such works necessary to facilitate the safe and easy flow of traffic.
Good management is the key for operating and executing any successful undertaking but it appears that the Government is attempting to do too much too fast without proper planning and management and is therefore encountering many difficulties and waste in the execution of its programs. If it considers that the priorities it touts for the people it serves are very much needed and these are properly planned and executed to improve their standard of living, then there will be no need for Mr. Ram to appeal to his fellow citizens to join him in badgering the politicians to improve their sufferings.
Sincerely,
Charles Sohan