The accident that resulted in four spans of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) being severely damaged, putting the Bridge out of operation for days, had left thousands of commuters who normally use the facility with no choice but to use water taxis at the old ferry stellings at Vreed-en-Hoop and Georgetown.
This is not the first time the bridge has been rammed by an oceangoing vessel, resulting in damages and also much inconvenience to commuters.
If one can recall, only months ago, another ship had caused damage to the structure that led to its closure. Then there was another incident in which logs, which at the time were being transported on a truck across the Demerara Harbour Bridge, fell off and disrupted traffic in the process.
Before that incident, a barge had slammed into the Bridge, causing it to be closed for a few days. That incident had occurred on the first day of the new school year, and chaos had ensued at the Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop ferry stellings as commuters had flocked to access the services of speed boats to cross the Demerara River.
There is no disputing the very high volume of commuters and vehicles that cross the DHB on a daily basis, with traffic buildup on both ends bringing much frustration to all. The unusually easy flow of traffic on the East Bank public road puts into perspective the volume of vehicles that traverse the DHB from the West Side.
With the continued establishment of new housing schemes across the country, thousands of persons have now been relocated from the city to other suburban and rural areas, where they were allocated house lots to build their homes. Most of these persons have to travel back to the city, where they work or attend school.
While commendable measures were put in place, including Police presence, extension of the deadline for the boats to traverse the river, and ambulance for medical emergencies, there have been many similar incidents in the past that offer experience to establish a more friendly environment at the Georgetown stelling.
Such interventions would constitute a simple component of a more detailed and effective contingency plan to deal with disruption in operations of the DHB, and to mitigate historic challenges. It’s not about who didn’t do what, but what must be done; done in a timely manner to safeguard the welfare of commuters.
It would be interesting to know if any assessment was done on capacity and safety levels of the Georgetown stelling area used to access the water taxis. People must travel for work, regardless of the mechanism.
Equally important is the movement of food, critical medical supplies, and patients who must access services in the city. Additionally, there is an added cost to many who have to divert and use the water taxis.
While the Police are out in numbers when dealing with the challenges an inoperable Harbour Bridge poses, there may be enough information, through past incidents, to necessitate a review of its holistic approach.
This latest disruption was just over three days, as light vehicles are now accommodated, and the DHB crews that worked around the clock must be commended.
However, in a scenario where the disruption could be more extensive, what plans are in place to ensure a far less challenging commute, the supply of goods and services, and the minimising of additional financial burdens?
Any national contingency plan has to be holistic to cater for various situation until a new Demerara River crossing is put in place.
We support President Dr Irfaan Ali when he said that Government would expedite work on the new bridge, which has a two-year timeframe to be completed once work starts.
To quote the President: “…we’ll try to expedite the work on the new bridge. But one of the things with the frequent hitting of the bridge is that it is actually devouring all our spare capacity.”
We are pleased that efforts are being made to accelerate the construction of a modern bridge across the Demerara River, since it is clear that the present structure had become inadequate a long time ago.
We also commend the engineers and workers who worked fervently around the clock to have bridge operational again.
