“We are fed up”…Berbice residents tell politicians as they protest deplorable road

Apr 18, 2013 News

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In their quest for a proper public road, scores of East Bank Berbice residents paraded with placards on Brickdam and Avenue of the Republic, to attract the attention and consideration of politicians as parliament convened on Tuesday.
The residents recently staged a few picketing exercises in Berbice, but they did not receive the desired response. The decision was therefore taken to move the protest to the city, close to where the highest meeting of the land is held– Parliament Building.
Among the protesters were mothers, young children and angry motorists whose cars have sustained much damage over the years, due to the many large potholes that have taken over the 25-mile roadway. According to them, their plight for a permanent fixture on the road has been ongoing for many decades.

The East Bank Berbice Public Road is the main access road to the recently established Glasgow housing scheme, several schools, the farming area of Mara and other far-flung agrarian-based areas. It caters for more than 3,000 residents living along East Bank Berbice. No one seems to remember the road ever being in a decent condition, they said.
“We brought the protest to Parliament Building because we can no longer tolerate this nonsense. Every year we protest, they come and patch it up, but then soon after, it gone back to square one,” one of the protesters said on Tuesday.
They all maintained that “the golden days” of mere potholes are gone and that motorists are now faced with the difficult challenge of maneuvering their vehicles out of the many “fish ponds” that now exist.
One mother and grandmother, Sandra Griffith, told Kaieteur News that the condition of the road has over the years affected the attendance of school children to their respective schools.
“Countless times my grandchildren and so does go out properly to go to school and would come home crying after falling in one of the potholes or after a vehicle splash water on them. And this is not no small holes; these are ponds,” the woman said.
The woman added that even the car fares have been raised significantly to the detriment of the poorer class families who struggle to make ends meet.
“Children now have to pay a whole $200 to get to their school which is not that far away. This is not right, and it definitely is not fair. We want to let these parliamentarians in there hear our cries,” Griffith added.
A few of the female protestors said that the car rides which are usually bumpy would cause them serious back and abdominal pains. The road takes hours to traverse, and at least five expectant mothers had to deliver their babies while in traffic, as vehicles can only drive at a “slow” speed. One of them is now a grown woman.

Chairman of the East Bank Berbice Hire Car Association, Maxwell Semple, said that the residents of East Bank Berbice do not want anymore remedial works to be done. He added that these “patch work” which amounts to millions of dollars, are simply a waste of taxpayers’ money.
“We don’t want any more patch work. It doesn’t make any sense. If they do the right thing, we will not have to suffer, and taxpayers’ money will not be going to waste,” Semple said.
The man also said that vehicle owners have been finding it especially difficult, as the road is a “vehicle destroyer”.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Ali, a member of the East Bank Berbice Hire Car Association, explained that their grievances have become unbearable, and that they, the people of East Bank Berbice, will no longer be listening to fake promises.
“We have traveled at a great sacrifice, so that we can come here to represent, and bring to the attention of the politicians who we believe are watching us from inside (Parliament Building),” Ali said.
The man added that the East Bank Berbice residents have left no stone unturned and no option left unexplored as it relates to having this matter resolved.
He said that assistance was sought from leaders of the Oppositions- Khemraj Ramjattan, David Granger, and even Robert Corbin, the former leader of the PNC/R.
The man said that despite seeking assistance from these persons in “positions”, nothing has been done.
Ali said that the people are also dissatisfied with the opposition parties whom they believe have failed them, since they know of the condition of the road and the struggles that the residents face on a daily basis, and yet they have done nothing to assist them, except highlighting their satisfaction via the media.
Nonetheless, after a few minutes into the protest, the Berbicians were joined by both the Alliance for Change (AFC)’s Khemraj Ramjattan and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s David Granger who promised that before they day’s parliament session was over, the matter would be brought up for discussion.
The residents told this publication that President Donald Ramotar had promised last year that accommodations for proper fixtures on the road will be made in this year’s National Budget. However, this was not done, and yet another promise was made for such a project to be included in next year’s National Budget.
The residents are demanding a guarantee, as they are “fed up” with false promises”.

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