The Guyana Police Force and key stakeholders, including the Government, must redouble their efforts in order to reduce the increasing levels of traffic congestion on our roadways while dealing with the concomitant challenges that arise as a direct result of the delays and frustration caused by the phenomenon.
While it is a fact that over the past decade, billions of dollars have been spent on upgrading and maintaining the country’s road network, it is also a fact that little planning continues to go into the process of restructuring existing road designs and layouts, especially in the commercial hubs in Georgetown.
Officials are neglecting the urgent need to create new road linkages, access routes and connecting roads so as to ensure the smooth and unhindered flow of traffic throughout the day.
Traffic congestion, therefore, continues to be a major challenge in Guyana; given the trend, it may even become worse in years to come when one considers the growth and development that are expected with the addition of the emerging oil and gas sector.
This is so because both the economy and school systems require that people work and go to school about the same time resulting in road transport systems being overloaded.
Traffic congestion in the city and its environs as a direct result is almost unbearable, especially during morning and evening rush-hour traffic. These days it is normal to spend more than half an 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 build-up of traffic almost daily.
Not only is the traffic situation adding to people’s personal frustrations, it is certainly having a negative impact on the level of output of our citizens, both students and workers. For example, production hours are lost by way of employees coming to work late or the fact that they are so tired and stressed the next day after spending long hours either waiting for transportation or stuck in traffic.
The establishment of new housing schemes across the country and the increasing number of vehicles being imported have contributed significantly to traffic congestion in and around the capital city. Thousands of persons have now been relocated from the city to suburban and rural areas where they were allocated houselots to build their homes. Most of these persons have to travel back to the city where they work or attend school.
Also, many persons are now opting to purchase their own vehicles. They use these vehicles to commute to work and conduct their daily errands. In fact, within the last seven years or so, there has been a five-fold increase in the number of vehicles traversing the roads. However, the road network expansion programme, even though improving, still cannot accommodate this massive increase in the number of vehicles using our roads.
That said, traffic congestion cannot be eliminated completely; it is the way modern societies operate. However, there are certain steps which could be taken to immediately minimise the impact traffic congestion has on citizens and their ability to get to their destination with minimal delays. For example, the authorities could work to ensure that there is greater Police presence in certain areas to properly direct traffic in order to ensure a smooth flow. In some areas leading in and out of the city, there is hardly any Police presence, and some motorists use the opportunity to break the rules. There could also be more diversions where there is a heavy traffic build-up.
As a long-term solution, an effective way to address the challenge is to continue expanding the road network in the country, especially in areas that are heavily populated. At present, there are too many vehicles, too few roads, and too little space, especially in the capital city. There is no doubt that, once completed, the East Bank-East Coast road expansion project will bring much relief to the travelling public. It is expected that the new roadway will serve as a corridor for communities on the East Bank of Demerara, including Perseverance, Mocha, Providence, Eccles, Peters Hall and South Ruimveldt. The new road link will allow drivers the option to divert from the East Coast onto the bypass road to access the East Bank of Demerara instead of going through the hectic Georgetown traffic.
The authorities must continue to look at ways in which the road network in Guyana could be further expanded, improved, rehabilitated and maintained. In addition to easing traffic congestion, this could result in a reduction in the large number of road fatalities in the country.
