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Urgent repairs needed to Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling -structure poses danger to vendors and speed boat commuters
The extremely dilapidated state of the Vreed-en-Hoop (West Bank Demerara) Stelling is posing grave danger to speedboat commuters, taxi drivers and vendors who use the facility for river transport and to ply their trade on a daily basis.
A section of the very dilapidated Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling
This was the view of several vendors, taxi drivers and speedboat commuters yesterday who normally traverse the facility to and from Georgetown. One reporter chatted with several persons yesterday, and was taken aback at the fear of persons using the facility that it may collapse one day while all concerned are using it for whatever reasons.
Speaking to Senior Engineer at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Jermaine Braithwaite, yesterday, he agreed that the structure is indeed in a very dilapidated state.
He said that a substantial section of the structure may require complete overhauling from the very pillars in the river that holds it upright to the roof, floor and other areas.
He added that scope of works intended for the structure includes also upgrades to accommodate more speedboats since there is an ongoing congestion problem at both Vreed-en-Hoop and the Georgetown Ferry Stellings.
He added that the Ministry of Infrastructure intends to have structural elements implemented to ensure order, and avoid the present chaos when mooring of speedboats occur and passengers use the stellings.
A section of the floor that has almost completely disappeared on the stelling
According to Braithwaite, the Ministry has already solicited the services of Mott McDonald, a consultancy group from the United Kingdom, to conduct feasibility studies for rehabilitative works on both stellings.
The consultancy is being funded under a grant scheme by the United Kingdom government, through the United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIF). As stated by Braithwaite, the contractors’ contract which began on October 2019 is expected to conclude within a month.
He added that among projects are components geared at flood prevention, upgrades and much more. He said that environmental assessment and other related studies are also being done.
Another part of the facility that needs urgent attention
According to Braithwaite, Government has already received funding for the first phase of upgrading of the Vreed-en-Hoop and Georgetown Stellings.
Vendors and taxi drivers in particular are very worried about the state of the Vreed-en-Hoop facility since there are very large holes in the flooring where the wood has rotted. Large sections of the roof seems to be on the verge of complete disintegration.
Some drivers are worried that since they use the facility to park their vehicles the floor may one day collapse under the weight of the vehicles. This concern is even more heightened by the fact that some of the pillars in the Demerara River that hold the structure have eroded and badly damaged by water and other elements of the weather.
This facility is also used by pedestrians to park their bicycles and motorcycles and by clothes and food vendors.
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