Deal with the sources not the symptoms

Jan 11, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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When the East Bank Public Road between Providence and Ruimveldt was just a two lane highway, every day there was a monstrous build- up of traffic during peak hours. This caused huge economic losses especially when there was some accident on that stretch of road thereby reducing sections to a one lane thoroughfare.

This situation led the government to improve the bridges and road network along the East Bank. Eventually, a four lane public road- some call it a highway- was completed and commuters had a reprieve from traffic jams.

We are now, as they would say back to square one. The opening of the Diamond Housing Scheme and the increase in vehicular traffic pouring into the city each day from West Demerara, now means that traffic is snarled during peak hours each morning, with the lines backing up as far as Craig. Just before the Christmas holidays, an attempt was made to deal with the symptoms of the problem. Trucks were prohibited from using the road between Diamond and Ruimveldt between the hours of 6 am to 11.am.

This decision, well intentioned, did not go down well. The sand truckers complained that the prohibitions would seriously affect their turnaround time and cause them to lose business. The Private Sector Commission then jumped into the act, complaining also about the effects on business.

There is a need for the matter to be addressed but the solutions must be addressed at its source and not through its symptoms. The sources of the buildup are well known. The lack of employment opportunities in West Demerara, the heavy flow of commuters from the Diamond Housing Scheme and, three, the increase in business activity that is taking place along the East Bank Public Road.

Any solution to the traffic problem on the East Bank, especially between Diamond and Ruimveldt must address these sources. First, the government should move to create industrial, entertainment and commercial zones in West Demerara away from the public road. The provision of incentives for these areas would allow for investors to establish businesses and this creates employment in the region thereby reducing the number of persons who are forced each day to use the bridge and the speedboats to come to the city seeking employment.

The creation of the Diamond Housing Scheme has led to its own problems. There are thousands of persons living in that area and thus thousands have to travel to the city to work and to attend school. It is noticeable that during the vacation period, the traffic along the East Bank Public Road is significantly reduced because of the absence of school children.

Thus one solution to the traffic problems on the East Bank may be to create an elite school at Diamond with top teachers and facilities so as to encourage all those hundreds of children on the East Bank who have to come to the city each day for their education, to secure their education within the area. The authorities have seriously underestimated the number of school children that comprise the commuting population and if instead of having to travel to the city, the schools in the Diamond and Grove areas can be improved and have top class facilities, then it is possible that this can help with the traffic problems. As far-fetched as it sounds, it will still be a cheaper solution than what is presently being attempted, or by building another roadway.

The final problem that snarls traffic on the East Bank Public Road, particularly between Providence and Ruimveldt, is the growing number of businesses that are propping up along the roadway. A simple observation is necessary. All it takes is one vehicle to be badly parked on the four lane highway to reduce traffic in each carriageway from two lanes to one lane. Each day, there are many vehicles parked at the sides of the four lane highway and this disrupts the flow of traffic.

Two things should happen. The first is that on those stretches of the East Bank Public Road where there are no parking lanes, strict no-parking regulation should be enforced. At present, there are simply too many parked vehicles between the Harbour Bridge and Ruimveldt.

The second thing that should happen is that something really needs to be done about business propping up along main roadways. Some attention has to be paid to zoning. In the interest of proper traffic management, it is time that the authorities prohibit businesses on all of the major roadways.

There will soon come a time in this country when every home will have at least one vehicle and this is a development that our road networks cannot accommodate. The only solution is strict zoning requirements which would first designate commercial from non-commercial areas, and then limit the number of businesses that can operate in any one zone.

Unless this is done, we will always be dealing with symptoms rather than the source of our traffic woes.

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