BLUEPRINT FOR UPGRADING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Sep 27, 2015 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

…river and sea transport, large passenger buses
A multifaceted policy and programme to overhaul infrastructure across the nation is on the move. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure under the leadership of Ministers David Patterson and Annette Ferguson is already moving ahead with the acquisition of buses larger than 26 seaters to ply long routes, e.g. Georgetown to Lethem, Mackenzie to Kwakwani, Adventure to Charity

Minister David Patterson

and Georgetown to Corriverton.
This programme is a direct spin off of a road transportation policy which is being refined. In the meantime, the ‘low hanging fruit’, the projects that are immediately achieveable have already been set in motion while a new coordinating unit, The Transportation Authority, is set up. As a matter of course, the issue of weight, time and speed limits on specified roads and highways for heavy-duty vehicles have been included.
Owners of both small and large cargo vessels, shipping terminals in Port Georgetown, in Berbice and Essequibo, bulk exporters and other frequent users of the main rivers for transportation purposes will be pleased to learn of the Ministry’s plans (already being implemented) to upgrade and modernize this main Port and dredge the Demerara Navigational Channel which will in the short term reduce the high charges they have been paying to transport goods only in small quantities in and out of Guyana because of the shallow draught of the Channel.
A brand new dredger will be purchased to dredge and maintain the channel, rivers and creeks. The deepening of these rivers will facilitate in-country movement of lumber, stone, sand, people and consumer goods from the interior regions to the coast. No longer will their passage be delayed while they wait for high tides to sail. They will lose fewer markets as a result of those delays, and the complaints lodged by our value-added wood producers including sawmillers, joiners and makers of doors, decking, furniture and other products are sure to diminish.
Rehabilitation of the Lighthouse and replacement of navigational lights, buoys and other equipment will serve a similar purpose. This move would also boost the tourism sector and encourage the growth of the arts and craft industry since the deeper draught will allow large cruise ships to berth at Port Georgetown.
These facilities are extremely important to our local manufacturers and exporters as well. Their products are likely to become more competitive in local and overseas markets. In addition, more Guyanese will be encouraged to establish indigenous value-added enterprises due to less costly, easier access to markets in the Caribbean and farther afield. (The issue of cripplingly high energy costs that result in high prices for Made-in-Guyana products will be addressed in the second installment of this article).
All sea and river defense works will be consolidated under the ministry’s new Coastal Protection Unit. The Marine Administration Department (MARAD) has placed on their work programme a number of deep water projects including new harbours and will intensify their training schedules for boat and ferry captains and crews. This is part of a Port Master Plan that will be implemented in a phased manner for the benefit of both national and international marine traffic.
Restructuring and rehabilitation of wharves and stellings also feature high on the Ministry’s agenda. A new ferry will be acquired to ply the Parika – North West District route. Already Berbicians have begun to benefit from the introduction of river launches crossing the Berbice River between Rosignol and New Amsterdam. Parents of school aged children and the elderly can now cross the river free of cost, and frequent passengers including students of the University of Guyana’s Tain campus are saving money by avoiding the high tolls they had been paying to cross the mile-long Berbice Bridge. Depending on the outcome of the government’s negotiations with the Berbice Bridge Company, another passenger/vehicle ferry may be reintroduced to this crossing after the Rosignol and N/A stellings and gantries are replaced.
Linking the Hinterland and coastland by river, road and air is another priority. The Ministry of Public Works intends to aggressively restructure previous plans to pave the road between Lethem to Linden. This corridor serves a multitude of purposes, especially transporting consumer goods and Guyanese and foreign adventure seekers on safaris, hunting trips, sightseeing and shopping in Lethem or across the Takatu Bridge to Bon Fim, Sao Paolo, Manaus, Roraima, Amazonia and other western states of Brazil.
According to President David Granger at the commissioning of Trans Guyana’s new 19-seater Raytheon Beechcraft 1900D in September 2015, the hinterland is an essential element in Guyana’s development. “It is the frontier of our economic progress,” he declared, while urging stakeholders to “unlock the hinterland potential faster” and in a sustainable manner. Domestic Aviation has proven to be one of the keys to unlocking this potential, bringing our people together, developing our communities and exploiting our natural resources.
One key to unlocking the socio-economic potential of Guyanese and bridging the distance between the Coastland and Hinterland lies in the skies. Of necessity, all island and hinterland airstrips are slated for de-bushing, re-surfacing, widening and generally upgrading to the specifications required by aircraft owners. This includes the landing strip at the Kaieteur National Park.
(To be continued with plans to achieve Category I aviation listing, bridging the Demerara River at a secondary location, and implementing green energy initiatives)