Guyana signs on to UN Inland Transport Committee Resolution

…for the sustainable development of road networks, inland transport

Guyana has signed on to a resolution from the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) of the United Nations Economic Commission on Europe (UNECE). It commits countries to the sustainable development of their inland transport systems, particularly road networks.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, in Geneva, Switzerland as head of Guyana’s delegation to the 75th Anniversary of the ITC, signed the resolution on Tuesday, and delivered it to the Chair of the Inland Transport Committee, Kristof Schockaert.
According to a statement from the Minister, signing the resolution is intended to commit Guyana to a decade of sustainable inland transport and sustainable development.
Guyana’s delegation also consisted of Patrick Thompson, Chief Transport Planning Officer of the Ministry of Public Works; and Kerrlene Wills, Chargé d’Affaires of Guyana’s Permanent Mission in Geneva.
In his keynote speech at the anniversary’s Ministerial segment, Edghill highlighted the important role of transport as an enabler of sustainable development, and the need for more integrated approaches to policy making, including planning for land use, infrastructure development, public transport systems, and good delivery networks.
“I have no doubt that if we deliver a coordinated and sustained response to the global challenges of inland transport like we did in our efforts to combat COVID-19, then, at the end of this decade, history will judge us with favourable consideration,” Edghill said.
“In addition to their value and job creation, inland transport systems should be considered partly as enablers of sustainable development. Therefore, integrated approaches to policy making are imperative, including planning for land use, infrastructure development, public transport systems, and goods’ delivery networks for the provision of affordable, efficient, safe and secure transport; improving energy efficiency and, at the same time, reducing pollution and congestion.”
According to Edghill, there is much to lose if an economically stable transport plan is not in place. He noted that the lack of such a plan transfers higher costs to consumers, and increases the cost of living. Edghill provided anecdotal evidence of this.
“I recently heard about a major manufacturer in my country who imports a small but significant component of its propane gas business from Italy. What was explained to this company by its Italian supplier is that the factory has not been receiving the raw materials from their supplier for many months because of challenges brought on by the pandemic. No work at the factory meant none of their long-serving and dedicated workers could be paid.
“Eventually they decided to repurpose their business to manufacture pandemic-related goods that are currently in market demand. Meanwhile in Guyana, the local manufacturer of propane gas is forced to source more inferior components from a more expensive source, and then pass on the costs to the thousands of households who depend on propane gas to prepare every meal,” he said.
Among the key issues affecting Latin America and the Caribbean, which were highlighted by Edghill, was the rapid expansion of vehicular fleets, especially personal cars. He noted that this expansion has come at a time when road networks are struggling to keep pace with the increased traffic.
The ITC is the UN platform for inland transport, and has a strong focus on road safety, including eight key legal instruments covering issues such as traffic rules, road signs, vehicle regulations, the transport of dangerous goods, and professional driver fatigue.
The ITC has played an integral role in the development of inland transport standards used around the world, which are encapsulated in a number of legal instruments. Guyana is a signatory to two of the 59 legal instruments: Convention on Road Signs and Signals, of 8 November 1968; and the Convention on Road Traffic, of 8 November 1968.