Public Infrastructure Ministry to remove hindrances from roadways
Come April 1, 2019, the Public Infrastructure Ministry will be conducting a countrywide campaign to remove all obstructions or encumbrances on the main access roads.
This initiative will be conducted in accordance with Section 29 of the Road Act, Cap. 51:01 of the Laws of Guyana, the Ministry stated.
The public and violators are advised to remove all such violations on or before the campaign commences.
“All encumbrances found on the Government’s reserve during this campaign will be removed immediately, with a recovery cost attached,” the Ministry warned.
The Ministry said the campaign will target derelict vehicle/equipment, immovable vehicles, paddy drying, hardware stores, barber shops, rum shops and bars, builders waste, roadside shop, car parks, sawmill, sand/stone heaps, tyre-servicing shops and several others.
Paddy drying has been a major encumbrance for road users over the years
Subject Minister David Patterson told Guyana Times the campaign is an annual activity which is only to be conducted on the public roads. He made it clear that minor roads will not be targeted during this operation.
“It’s restricted only to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure roads, so we won’t be going in anybody’s backyard. It’s on the main roads where people usually have combines and so on,” he said.
In the interview, Patterson made specific reference to the number of lives that have been lost as a result of such obstacles being on the roadways. He was keen to note that the Ministry will not enter areas such as Sophia, Greater Georgetown; Beirut, and Prashad Nagar.
According to him, the roads which will be targeted are “the declared public roads, such as the East Coast Highway (and) the Linden Highway, those are declared public roads under the Ministry”. Small roads such as exist in Sophia will be exempted from the exercise.
Residents of Berbice, especially those living along the Corentyne Highway, are complaining bitterly about the drying of paddy of the roadways, and he said it must be a hindrance to commuters.
According to residents, what is more worrying is the lack of response from the Police in Region Six in enforcing traffic laws in the region. Guyana Times was told that the Police response to the continued drying of paddy on the Corentyne Highway calls in question whether the Police are making attempts to put an end to the practice, which endangers all road users.
Concerns have also been raised by road users in regard to the huge mud piles and sand heaps that are usually found on the roads.
