E.B.D. deadly roadway...Inadequate safety features, lax enforcement of road laws responsible for most road fatalities – Transportation Consultant

E.B.D. deadly roadway…Inadequate safety features, lax enforcement of road laws responsible for most road fatalities – Transportation Consultant

Mar 17, 2013 News

The absence of adequate safety features, primarily for pedestrians on the East Bank Demerara thoroughfare, and lax enforcement of road laws contribute to numerous road fatalities giving the corridor the reputation of being the deadliest, says a Transportation Consultant.
Safety features are usually installed on roadways when they are being erected as a result of studies conducted on the volume of traffic expected to traverse the stretch. This is the case of the ongoing East Bank Demerara Public Road four-lane expansion from Providence to Diamond project that caters for pavements and parking.

This stretch along the EBD Public Road at Little Diamond

However, the existing stretch, including areas with four-lane, lacks adequate safety features and Government should have aggressively worked to reverse this scenario that took too many lives including those of children, the consultant noted.
He opined that whenever accidents occur, more so, fatal accidents investigations should be launched to identify if flaws in the road infrastructure contributed to the accident. Appropriate adjustments should be made to facilitate the smooth flow of vehicular traffic and pedestrians depending on the findings.
The consultant related that safety features must address the issue of pedestrians being vulnerable on the roadway. However, over the years Government has been slow in reducing this vulnerability.
In August 2009, the Police Traffic Department released statistics showing the East Bank Demerara thoroughfare as the deadliest route for commuters. Of the 70 persons who died in road accidents from January to August 2009, 14 of the victims perished on this roadway.
Five years later the situation remains the same even though safety features such as traffic lights, street lights, and safety barriers were installed in certain areas along the stretch. Earlier this month, Kaieteur News reported that seven lives were lost along this corridor, thus far for 2013.
Recently, Traffic Chief, Hugh Denhert, said that figures over recent years have shown that the East Bank Demerara Public Road can be considered the country’s deadliest thoroughfare. He attributed it to the fact that this road is heavily traversed.
“The East Bank road is used by thousands of vehicles on a daily basis, travelling to our interior locations. There are also people who have taken up residency in new housing schemes which have been established,” Denhert noted.
While, the Traffic Chief’s comment is acceptable, the consultant said that had there been adequate road safety features and full enforcement of road laws fatal road accidents could have been reduced significantly.

Safety features
According to the consultant, the East Bank Demerara corridor began to change when the Jagdeo regime started to widen the road into four-lane. There is no doubt that it helped to reduce traffic congestion to some extent. But, erecting a ‘highway’ close to houses and where pedestrians frequent is dangerous.
The consultant said that the communities of Mc Doom, Bagotstown and Agricola exemplified how poor planning did not cater for pedestrians’ safety. Traversing those areas, particularly, during the peak hours is usually difficult because of limited space for parking. Most times, pedestrians are seen walking on the road while vehicles are parked on the small space allotted for pavements (if any).
Further up the East Bank, where there is only a two-lane thoroughfare, pavements are absent forcing pedestrians to walk on the shoulders of the road where possible. Other than that they are exposed to the numerous heavy-duty machinery, minibuses, cars, vans and motorcycles that use the road.
In addition, where there are bridges along the stretch there should be complementary foot bridges. There is a foot bridge linking Grove and Diamond but this is not a popular feature along the corridor. The consultant said that having pedestrians off the public road should have been a priority.
Road markings, signage and safety barriers are important features needed to secure drivers and passengers, who are also at risk. Along the stretch there are road barriers but more are needed at deep turns. Signs stating speed limits are woefully lacking. These need to be installed to advise drivers and passengers of the acceptable speed vehicles should be travelling at, he said.

Enforcement of laws
Within recent years the legislative arm of Government has moved to pass laws in the National Assembly to safeguard the roadways. Drinking and driving and travelling without seatbelts are now against the law.
He noted that Guyanese have another culture of tolerating bribery. This corrupt act has many traffic ranks turning a blind eye to drivers’ misgivings— for a ‘raise’. “But, it is this raise that causes the lives of many innocent persons including children,” the consultant said.
He said that the moment the police execute their duties diligently road fatalities along the East Bank Demerara would reduce.