More safety concerns raised over heavy-duty trucks

Calls are beginning to mount for closer attention to be paid to heavy-duty trucks which traverse thoroughfares across Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), more so Linden and the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, in light of safety concerns.
Region 10 Democratic Council (RDC) members as well as residents continue to express concerns over the “haphazard” way in which some operators utilise the roadways by not adhering to safety guidelines. On Sunday, a heavily-laden lumber truck was stuck across the highway at Amelia’s Ward, causing a traffic build-up. This caused residents to raise concerns over safety.
“This nonsense got to stop. The authorities have to do something about these lumber trucks. People can’t get to work on time,” an affected resident remarked.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Renis Morian said he would be meeting with members of the Police Traffic Department to discuss recommendations. The administration recently made a decision to clamp down on defaulting timber and lumber trucks utilising the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge and internal roads in the Linden community, after concerns were raised over trucks not operating under standard regulations when utilising the roads and bridges. With Linden being a major link to interior locations, scores of these trucks pass through the community on a daily basis.
“I would want to also talk to the person in charge at the toll (Kara Kara) station, the stop points on the highway,” Morian told Councillors, during a recent statutory meeting.
He noted that just recently he was forced to inform staff at the toll booth after observing a heavy-duty truck traversing without tail lights. “So we would need to involve the Police here … and I would want to involve the Police too in the meeting,” the Regional Chairman said.
Councillor Tracy Johnson has, however, called for the trucks to occupy a particular location and be escorted by Police.
“I think it would be wise for us to ensure that those trucks are parked in a particular area and every hour the Police escort them out of Linden to Soesdyke and they pay a fee to the Police,” he told members of the Council. Morian said while the RDC did not make laws, it could make recommendations and urged Councillors to present same at the meeting with the Traffic Department.
“We got enough grounds to make strong recommendations because over the past three years – and maybe we need to chronicle as part of the argument, the amount of deaths that happened (involving heavy-duty trucks) over the past three years. I would have that report from the Police Station. So, it would strengthen our case,” he said.
Adding to the discussion, Councillor Antonio Hackett suggested that there be representation from the National Road Safety Council at the meeting. (Utamu Belle)