Latest update October 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 17, 2017 News
On Sunday, a horrific accident between a car and paddy-laden truck at the Number 59 Village, East Berbice, left five persons dead, including a city businesswoman.
The city family and an overseas guest were on their way to the Number 63 beach when the driver reportedly dodged from a pothole and ended up in the path of the truck.
Immediate reports of the accident blamed paddy being dried on the road. However, it was later narrowed down to a pothole and possibly speed.
The accident has brought into sharp focus, another major problem in especially East Berbice– that of badly parked farm equipment, vehicles and paddy drying on the road.
Yesterday, an upset Gobin Harbhajan, the Prime Minister representative in Region Six, made it clear that the issue has been raised time and again with no one ministry or entity taking responsibility.
He explained that the Corentyne, on both sides of the roadway, is dotted by obstructions ranging from tractors, trailers, draglines, water pumps, combine, grain carts tanks and various other types of agricultural machinery.
“Some of these are old and in disuse, yet the owners feel that the roadway is the perfect burial ground and this is ironic since they have been responsible for numerous serious accidents. This is in addition to the wide swaths of paddy which actually takes over nearly half of the road. It has been observed that rice farmers are now ‘protecting’ their paddy by lining six-inch concrete blocks in the center of the road.”
Harbhajan said that the real danger is compounded by the absence of pavements for pedestrians.
“In the past the paddy used to be spread on a little part of the road. Parents taking their children to school on bicycles and on foot, have to carefully circumnavigate their courses and have to wait until the coast is clear before they can venture hurriedly along their way.”
The PM’s representative also noted that another major problem experienced by drivers and residents is the heavy mud brought on the road by farming vehicles.
“It makes it extremely dangerous for motor vehicles since traction is lost on the muddy surface. When this mud is dried it becomes missiles when caught by vehicle tyres. I have written extensively on the willful obstruction caused by citizens, especially farmers, along the Corentyne highway. But these have fallen on deaf ears.”
The official said that he has made several complaints to various authorities while the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) was in Government.
“I have even taken it up with my own government agencies and I’m getting excuses that don’t fall under their ministry and I’m being pushed around from one end to the next from the Ministry of Communities, and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.”
The official said that he even posted some pictures of the obstructions on his Whatsapp chat group – ‘Issues and Ideas in Berbice’.
“This group has members from various ministries as well as the Guyana Police Force and persons from many organizations. They are cognizant of the serious concerns which have been expressed at this forum. This situation is getting worse along the roadways even as the Traffic Department shifted the blame to the NDCs, and they direct the blame to the Public Infrastructure Ministry and Minister of Security. For how long must we endure this nonsense?”
Harbhajan said that he can no longer turn a blind eye to the situation.
“I’m asking that the subject ministry that is responsible, to put a hefty fine on these farmers or put legislation in place. Presently it is a hazard to all. We are in Government and we must put an end to this age-old problem.”
October 1st turn off your lights to bring about a change!
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