Regular traffic flow by weekend – Chairman

Chairman of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) Brian Allicock said that with the way things are fanning out, there should be a free flow of traffic on the access road leading to the region by the end of the week.
He said however, that vehicles are already able to pass, as the work completed so far by the contractor has been satisfactory. Currently, workers are in the process of ‘capping and compacting’ the road.
Work on the deplorable road began over the weekend after much cries from residents and fuel shortage in the region.
The stretch of road at an area known as ‘Hunt Oil’ in the vicinity of the Lethem-Kurupukari roadway in North Rupununi had been flooded and rendered impassable, resulting in several heavy-duty vehicles such as fuel trucks being stranded, causing Lethem to face a shortage of gasoline.
Guyana Times was told that the Macedo and Lammy fuel stations had been without gasoline for several days, while the Takutu Gas Station had sold its last bit of fuel on Friday. This shortage caused a major loss of revenue for the region, since vehicle owners were forced to go over to neighbouring Brazil to fuel up. Fuel was however, able to reach the region on Friday.
The burden increased on vehicle owners, since they are forced to pay some $125 more per litre over the border in Brazil than what they would have paid locally.
This newspaper understands that regional contractor, JR Ranch, commenced remedial works on the ‘Hunt Oil’ stretch of road on Friday afternoon, and was expected to fully complete the works by Monday latest. It had been reported that in the meanwhile, the contractor had rendered assistance to some of the stranded commuters plying the route.
Guyana Times was told that up to Saturday midday, the contractor was able to partially repair the road and make it passable, but only to light vehicles.