Truckers getting their act together

Feb 07, 2016 News

…After M&CC moves to enforce bylaws on securing loads
After an article in the Kaieteur News captioned, “M&CC to enforce bylaws to deal with errant sand truck operators”, the move might have come a bit too soon.

Last week, these bags of sand were obtained along the East Bank Demerara thoroughfare. The sand was supposedly spewed from uncovered truck trays.

This was according to two sand truck operators.
One of the men, who requested anonymity, stated that since the publication of the article, his fellow truckers have begun to get their act together. Whilst some were highly offended, he said, others who have been abiding by the rules of covering their loads have become watchdogs at the various sandpits along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.
Earlier last week, after a cleanup exercise, several skip-bins and heaps were seen along the Saffon Street area filled with mainly sand.
This resulted in fingers being pointed to the “poor attempt” by the relevant authorities to ensure truckers’ loads are properly covered while traversing the roadways.
A Mayor and City Council (M&CC) official explained that the matter was being addressed. She directed attention to the bylaw which came under the Municipality and Districts Act.
The official stated that Chapter 28:01, Section 279 of the Act states that “No person shall operate, drive or move any vehicle on a Council road unless it is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its loads from dropping, sifting, leaking or otherwise escaping therefrom”.
The truck operator disclosed that while a majority of trucks have coverings to secure their loads; they usually refuse to “cover up” because of reasons unknown.
“Dem does left the sandpit and don’t cover till they reach the road (Soesdyke Main Road) but dem sometimes lazy to stop and cover up,” the man stated.
The man also said that some truckers during late hours in the nights do not bother to cover because “the police don’t be on the road so late”.
Another trucker, Radesh Persaud, told this publication that the “big truck” operators are the culprits who ignore the rules of the road. He said that the trucks are often too high for police ranks to notice if their loads are covered or not.
Persaud made reference to an incident which occurred sometime last March, where an uncovered load of sand on a “big truck” was heading to a location “over the river” when the sand blew off and went into a Taxi operators face, causing the man to lose control and crashing into a brick wall in the Golden Grove area, East Bank Demerara.
Debra Lewis, Public Relations Officer, of the M&CC, stated that the Council is on the verge of recruiting more individuals to their newly implemented Traffic component at City Hall.
Lewis revealed that currently there are eight ranks. This number, she said, is expected to grow and with this, they will have a better handle over the situation in Georgetown.