We are in the height of the Christmas season, and based on the level of traffic congestion and perhaps confusion on our roads, it has become clearer that there is an urgent need to expand the country’s road network.
Both drivers and passengers have expressed frustration regarding the long time it takes to reach their destinations, especially if they are getting in and out of the city centre, as there is a huge build-up of traffic, resulting in a lot of time being wasted.
Even when we are out of the holiday season, the traffic congestion during rush hours in the mornings and evenings is almost unbearable for citizens to cope with. It is normal to spend more than half hour in the traffic when going or coming from work or school, especially in areas along the East Bank and East Coast corridors, where there is a huge buildup of traffic almost daily.
The situation at the Demerara Harbour Bridge is even worse. In addition to the bridge no longer being adequate to accommodate the large volume of traffic on a daily basis, many have complained that the traffic is badly managed. There is no sense of order and decency at the bridge, and the officers stationed there seem helpless. In fact, many drivers have complained that it is highly stressful to be caught up in heavy traffic at the bridge. During rush hours, there is bumper-to-bumper traffic, with some drivers bullying their way through.
Within the last five years or so, traffic congestion in the city and other main thoroughfares has gotten worse, and there could be a number of factors responsible for this. What we have noticed is that although there has been significant improvement to the road network recently, the continued establishment of new housing schemes across the country and the increasing numbers of vehicles being imported into the country are contributing to the traffic-related problems we are currently experiencing.
Thousands of persons have now been relocated from the city to other suburban and rural areas, where they were allocated house lots by the Government to build their homes. Most of these persons have to travel back to the city, where they work or attend school. Also, due to the fact that thousands of persons have entered into the middle and upper middle class, where they have more disposable income, many are opting to purchase their own vehicles. So within the last five years or so, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of vehicles driving on the roads.
The road network expansion programme, even though improving, still cannot accommodate this massive increase in vehicles driving on the roads.
As we have stated before, there are a number of steps which could be taken immediately to minimize the impact the problem is having on citizens and their ability to get to their destination with minimal delays. For example, the authorities could seek to ensure that there is more police presence in certain areas, so there can be a smooth flow of traffic, as drivers are known to break the rules and bully their way when there is no police presence.
Also, the authorities could designate more routes for traffic diversions, especially in areas where there is a heavy traffic build-up, etc.
However, these are more short-term solutions. An effective way to address the problem is to continue expanding the road network in the country, especially in areas that are heavily populated. The East Bank and East Coast road expansion projects, once completed, will bring much relief to the travelling public.
We urge the authorities to continue to look at ways in which the road network in Guyana could be further expanded, improved, rehabilitated, and maintained. This would certainly bring great relief to citizens’ frustrations, and would also help to reduce the number of road fatalities in the country.
