Latest update November 29th, 2024 1:00 AM
G’town Chambers calls for review of restriction
President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chandradat Chintamani
– estimated $30M lost in business on Monday
“You tell me wha dem really want we fuh do? Thief?”
A controversial decision to stop heavy trucks from using the East Bank Demerara Highway during certain hours of the day may be reviewed, a senior police official said yesterday.
The assurance from the police official yesterday came as trucks for the second day in a row were pulled over several areas along roadways.
The matter is also engaging the attention of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) which yesterday said businesses lost an estimated $30M alone on Monday because of the delays.
Police last week announced new measures to lessen the congestion on the East Bank Highway and make the road there safer.
Under new restrictions, no motor lorry or heavy-duty vehicles are allowed to use the Soesdyke- Linden Highway between 18:00 hours and 06:00hrs.
Motor lorries, heavy-duty vehicles and minibuses are also banned from parking along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway between the hours of 16:00 hours and 06: 00hrs.
Additionally, Police Commissioner, Henry Greene, has ordered that no motor lorry or heavy duty vehicle shall proceed north or south along the East Bank Demerara Public Road, between Houston and Timehri, between the hours of 06: 00 and 11: 00hrs.
With the campaign started in earnest on Monday to enforce the restrictions, truck drivers were upset over the last order which prevent them from being on the road from 06:00hours to11:00hrs.
Yesterday, parked trucks lined the roadways at Houston, Providence, Grove and in Soesdyke.
There were complaints by businesses that the trucks were hampering the flow of customers, as was the case at Gafoor’s Mall, in Houston.
“What they doing to us is allowing us to be on the road for only five hours a day,” an irate Ramdular Singh complained. “They did not talk to us before they start stopping us.”
Sand truck drivers especially may face problems. With sand pits opening at 04:00 hrs, trucks still cannot visit that site as the highway ban bars them from being on the Soesdyke Highway in the nights.
“So we get about five hours in the day to bring sand. If we tek one hour from GT (Georgetown) and we leave 11:00hrs, we reach at de pit for 12. We tek one hour to come back. We still gotta wait at de pit for our turn. You tell me wha dem really want we fuh do? Thief?”
One policeman on the roadway yesterday said he was forced to release a food truck laden with meat before the 11:00 hrs deadline.
Minister of Transport, Robeson Benn, probed yesterday on the grounds of only allowing the trucks after 11:00 hrs to use the road, acknowledged that something was wrong.
While stressing that the measures which came from the Ministry of Home Affairs are necessary, he assured that he will be liaising with officials to get more information.
Yesterday, President of the GCCI, Chandradat Chintamani, said that issue was discussed in a meeting with the Guyana Manufacturers’ Association and others, as the Chamber tries to “understand” the restrictions.
“First of all, the Chamber recognizes the need to ease the traffic congestion on the East Bank Demerara. We also need to recognize that there seems to be a disconnect in understanding the workings of these trucks.
“While there are the sand trucks, the commercial trucks, for example DDL (Demerara Distillers Limited), have suffered. A more realistic time for stopping them could be between 07:00 hours and 09:00 hours.”
Chintamani felt that the congestion situation could be eased if there is a “sensible” implementation consultation with the private sector.
“You have to understand that 60 per cent of the business turnover is done in this month alone. Every opportunity should be exploited.”
The Chamber is hoping for a meeting as early as today with the Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene, to work out possible solutions.
According to the official, there is obviously a strong need to look at the operations of the sand pits as the present window of opportunity for trucks to operate is limited.
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