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Barticians stage protest over state of road
…police go on alert
By Fareeza Haniff
Residents living in Bartica have committed to continue their protest action until they receive an official word from the Government that the Four Mile Bartica-Potaro Road in their community will be fixed.
On Thursday night, residents took to the streets with their protest action over the disastrous state of the road, which they said has been in that condition for more than five years.
Residents dug ditches in the road and burnt tyres, which as a result prevented any flow of vehicular traffic in and out of the area.
Sharon Chowchee, a resident who has been living in Bartica for more than a decade, said that the residents decided to resort to a protest since it is the only way that the administration will pay any attention to them, and then the road may be fixed.
The residents continued their protest yesterday, and forced the intervention of the police. By 3:30hrs yesterday afternoon, the protest came to an end; but the residents vowed to return, so that their voices can be heard.
“The road is so bad that the entire thing is filled with pot holes. It is hard for vehicles to go in and out, and sometimes the buses and cars are badly damaged due to the condition of the road,” Chowchee said.
In cases of emergency, Chowchee noted, drivers would refuse to go in the area, due to the fear that their vehicles would be damaged.
She added that residents would then have to find $10,000 to pay the cars or buses just so that they can go in the area.
A new secondary school is slated to be open in September at Three Miles Bartica Potaro Road, and Kaieteur News understands that parents are skeptical to send their children to the school, due to the bad state of the road.
When the protest was in swing on Thursday night, Regional Chairman Holbert Knights turned up at the scene and pleaded with the residents not to do anything drastic.
When Kaieteur News contacted Mr. Knights on the issue yesterday, he noted that he received a call from the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday night to inform him that Prime Minister Samuel Hinds would contact him soon for an update on the protest and the state of the road.
Up to the time that this newspaper spoke with the Regional Chairman, no such contact was made by the Prime Minister.
Mr. Knights noted that the road was not in such a state previously; but due to the constant rains, it has gotten worse.
Kaieteur News understands that the Government had put out a tender for the rehabilitation of the road at a cost of $20 million. That tender came to a close in May, but to date the contract has not been awarded.
This newspaper was informed that the Central Tender Board is responsible for sending a recommendation to Cabinet to get its no-objection for the contract; but until now, that recommendation has not been sent.
It was explained that it is this that seems to be delaying the rehabilitation of the road.
The Regional Chairman told this newspaper that he has written to the Minister of Public Works many times on the issue, but to date he has received no response.
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