The Story within the Story…Could this death have been avoided?

Nov 20, 2016 News

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By Leonard Gildarie
Over years, we have been writing umpteen times about the problems along the East Bank Demerara

corridor. The opening up of new lands along the area, and on the West Bank, has led to an explosion of growth in housing and other activities.
That fact that the international airport is located at Timehri and the East Bank public road is also the main access to Linden, the hinterland and the West Demerara and Essequibo areas, has been creating a major problem of congestion.
The Demerara Harbour Bridge, almost 40 years old, is incapable of efficiently servicing the thousands of vehicles that crisscross that structure daily.
The more than 10,000 vehicles that enter Guyana annually, and are registered, have compounded a dilemma that will only become worse over time.
Of course, the matter has been engaging consecutive administrations.
A new Demerara River Bridge is in the making. An alternative road to the city and Ogle, planned for east of the current East Bank public road. that is supposed to be located behind the many villages that dot the corridor, is also on the cards.
The problem with those plans is that the preparatory works appear to be taking a rather long time. It may be another five years before Guyana sees a new ‘Demerara Harbour Bridge’ and that alternative road.
In the meantime, citizens are saddled with the daily commute nightmare.
I have spoken of the Wild West situation along the Diamond access roads in the morning hours where minibuses and taxis, and quite a few mad drivers, are in the habit of overtaking the long lines to get to the front. The bottleneck that is created is maddening.
We are a lawless people that continue to be hell-bent on breaking the laws.
We see very little police presence, except at the Diamond junction. I have called for more police presence at these peak hours in the morning. Further along the East Bank road, at Peters Hall and Bagotstown, the situation is intolerable. Like I said before, it will only get worse.
Government is moving to build overhead walkways around the bridge area, at Diamond and further up at Houston. I envisage that this will only do so much. We have to move and move fast.
On Friday, I arrived to work at Kaieteur News shortly before noon after an assignment.
The department was quiet and there was shocking news.
One of our colleagues, Harry Brijmohan, an office assistant, had died several hours earlier, after a head-on collision with a car that was in his “lane”. Harry was riding a motor cycle.
I need to explain this. The East Bank public road up to Diamond is a four-lane highway. Because of high traffic in the morning peak hours, police at certain times would open the city-bound traffic to three lanes, using one of the lanes of the eastern carriageway.
The Demerara Harbour Bridge is also made into a one-way during the morning rush hour.
I believe that those moves are the best we can do in the circumstances. We don’t have the luxury of the new bridge and the alternative public road as yet.
Because of the congestion and my late hours, I rarely leave home before nine o’clock in the morning so fortunately I am not forced to endure the torture of the traffic lines.
I feel for the passengers in the minibuses and the drivers.
I do recall a few weeks ago coming out early and being caught at the confusion at the Harbour Bridge. I was moving in the traffic when suddenly at the beginning of Eccles, near the road leading to the Haags Bosch dumpsite, the two-lanes became three. There were no warnings, except the lone policeman waving the traffic along. The speed of the traffic accelerating had me giddy.
I can’t say what transpired on Friday that caused Harry to end up colliding with the car and abruptly bringing an end to his promising life. What I do know is that we need to do much better.
We need to bring more police ranks to help with the traffic situation.
We have to use more barriers and cones and strategically locate the spots where drivers may be breaking a few rules. We have to make do with the situation we have been saddled with.
Congestion is nothing new. It is what development brings.
The policy makers are bound to ensure that the lives of citizens are protected and all the stops pulled out to make this happen. It is a fact that we feel it more when it strikes closer to home.
Our office is in mourning for a life that should not have gone so soon. Whatever is the conclusion of the police’s investigations of Harry’s death, one thing is clear. We have to do much better.
The Commissioner of Police, Minister of Public Security and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure should pay close attention to the effects of the congestion – from gas, productivity from upset workers, safety, wear and tear from vehicles, and of course, the few drivers who insist that they will take their chances, much to the detriment of others.

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