Trucks removed from Lombard Street to ease traffic bottleneck

Jul 01, 2014 News

Authorities, in a move to reduce congestion in the city, have barred trucks from the Lombard Street area, sparking worry from operators about a likely drop in business.

Clear: Lombard Street yesterday.

Yesterday, several of the drivers descended on Freedom House, headquarters of the ruling People’s Progressive Party, to reverse the decision.
According to Traffic Chief, Hugh Denhert, the barring of sand trucks and canters from parking on Lombard Street is but part of a larger plan to ease traffic along the East Bank Demerara highway.
That highway is one of the most critical in the entire country, linking the city to West Demerara and by extension, the Essequibo Coast and Bartica, the Timehri airport and Linden, the gateway to the hinterlands.
However, the current four-lane highway extension from Providence to Diamond and an increase in the number of vehicles on the roads have been exacerbating the situation.
Despite the implementation of one-way traffic on the Demerara Harbour Bridge at peak periods, in the morning and evening, and three lanes on the highway for the same period, authorities have found that there was a major bottle neck along the Lombard Street area.
With several businesses, including lumberyards, located along that roadway, drivers have to contend with parked trucks, horse-drawn carts and even container trucks.
Looking for answers, the Ministry of Public Works along with the Police Traffic Department, found that allowing two-lane traffic on Lombard Street will help to alleviate the situation.
According to the Traffic Chief yesterday, Lombard Street was built to accommodate two lanes but overtime the situation had become a problem. Traffic is parked on both sides of the road, reducing vehicles to proceed along one lane.
Traffic to the city had been routed both through Saffon Street and southern beginning of Lombard Street.
Denhert pointed out that congestion along Lombard Street was also a security issue with congestion taken advantage of a few months ago when a money changer was shot dead and robbed in his Toyota Raum motorcar.
According to truck driver, Alwin Austin, about 20-plus colleagues went to Freedom House yesterday to plead against the decision to remove them.
The truck drivers are being placed in the DSL area, near the junction of Mandela Avenue and the Houston bypass.
Austin said that they are worried about the fallout of the decision to move them as already, business is tough.
“Sometimes for days, we don’t get a job. Putting us in the DSL area will only make things tougher.”
Not so, says the Traffic Chief. With trucks and canters centralized in one area, it makes much more sense for the operators and for the entire flow of traffic.
Austin said that police came on Saturday and demanded their documents. They were later told it is a decision to remove the trucks from Lombard Street. The truck drivers then went on Water Street, an area behind Lombard Street. They were also removed from that area.
According to Austin, it is not the truck drivers who are blocking the traffic.
“We have other persons who park here the entire day. They work in the market and in other places. They contribute to the situation also.”

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