Iissues with contractors cited as reasons for delay, new deadline imminent – Patterson

Unfinished Sophia roads

we need the government to intervene into this situation, it is like we are being forgotten,” was the call expressed by residents of A Field, Sophia, Georgetown, who are demanding that government intervene in their plight and address the poor state of the roads as well as install streetlights and provide active police patrol on a daily basis.

These appeals follow several others made to the current regime to commence work since residents are enduring “hardships” as a result of the delay.

The residents accused government of “pussyfooting” when it comes to addressing issues affecting the community. Even though work was done on the A Field road recently, this was never completed and the road is now in a worse state than before.

According to them, the contractors had started to level the road and things were “shaping up” but for an undisclosed reason, the work had been halted.

“They grade down the road and leave it like that. The only good thing they did was construct a culvert but we still can’t use that yet because it is not completed,” one resident related.

The May/June rainy season has compounded the deplorable state of the road since water continues to erode the structure, contributing to evolving potholes.

Noting this condition, the residents reported having it difficult to acquire transportation since many minibus and taxis are reluctant to enter the area.

When Guyana Times spoke with residents, they were mostly objecting to the manner in which the issues bothering them were being addressed by government.

Resident Samantha James, residing in the area for ten years, said she has never seen the road in such a bad state where it has become isolated due to the reluctance of many to traverse the area.

She said the condition has even caused route buses to stop operating in the A Field area due to fear of damaging their buses.

“Years ago buses could have passed through here easy but now, nobody wants to come and we are forced to catch B Field buses by walking over the long piece, even in the rain. We need the government to come in and see what we are going through because it’s not easy. I can’t even get a car to drop me sometimes.”

Owen James, another resident reported that the project was going better than he had expected but work just suddenly ceased, much to the residents’ disappointment.

He said since the road has deteriorated there is a higher crime rate since taxis and buses are no longer regular transporters: “It might not seem like it but the fault of this road is increasing the crime rate and we need something to be done. I have my family here and when I am at work in the night, they are home alone. I need to know that they are secured so we are begging the government to have the contracting company restart the work here.”

Others residents who offered comments shared the same sentiments, alluding to the belief that they are being forgotten, and their plights ignored.

The topic of streetlights also resurfaced with residents emphasising on its impact on the increased crime rates in the community.

Pleas were also made for police to patrol area especially during the night when “criminals strike” more frequently.

After the passing of the National Budget, work had commenced on the A Field road but this was never completed. When the rains started the structure further deteriorated and has since been a main complaint by residents.

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson when contacted by this publication, said work on the road has not ceased but rather there was an issue with the contracting companies after the road was graded.

However, the minister assured that work will be completed according to a dateline to be set. He informed that a letter will be sent to the companies indicating the deadline, which they will be required to fulfill.