Main city artery is death trap

Jul 08, 2014 News

– caused several accidents in past few weeks

The La Penitence Public Road – one of the main city arteries – records several vehicular accidents daily, especially at nights, as repairs being carried out by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and Ministry of Public Works have caused more problems for drivers.
A ruptured pipeline under the public road is still not fixed and has been so for over a month to date.
According to residents in the area, many drivers – particularly those on the southbound lane – have smashed into the crater-like hole or swerved from the large opening, into an oncoming vehicle especially in the nights.

The pothole that has caused many daily accidents on La Penitence Public Road

“Imagine how these people don’t care! There are no barricades around the five-foot hole other than a stall placed by vendors to warn drivers in the day that there is a large crater in the road. There are no reflectors in the nights and these people dig up that road about four times and still can’t fix it properly, that says a lot about the so called contractors we have,” one resident lamented.
“It look like the President got to intervene for this open manhole to be fixed, because like is only when he look at something then something is done. That says a lot about the people he has around him.”
It was further noted that the Ruimveldt Police Station is a stone’s throw away and traffic ranks have not seen it fit to be present to direct traffic or to place reflectors around the area where the hole is a major traffic hazard.
According to one driver, “This is so disrespectful to drivers; we have to suffer because of a lawless mentality by people in authority, you know when people will get serious is when they themselves crash into this hole or their families crash into it then people get serious.”
The size and depth of a pothole can vary substantially. Even shallow potholes may cause an accident. Tyre blowouts, damage to the undercarriage of the car, loss of control due to the jarring, whiplash, muscle strains, or dental damage caused by severe jarring are some consequences of driving over or swerving from a pothole.
“It is rather easy to not see a pothole, especially when it is dark and potholes are less visible. It is also hard to avoid a pothole during inclement weather.” another driver noted.