Overpass elevators to be manned ‘round the clock’

May 16, 2019 News

While works are said to be in progress to have the overpass elevators along East Bank Demerara operational before May 26, next, the Infrastructure

The overpass elevators at East Bank Demerara locations are to be manned 24-7 by trained operators

Ministry on Monday informed that the operators will be manned by trained individuals, around the clock, as soon as they become operational.
Public Relations Officer (PRO), Krest Cummings, said that following consultation with Minister David Patterson, she was informed that once operational, the elevators will be manned by employees selected by the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation management.
According to Cummings, locals will be trained shortly by engineers from the ministry who have already been trained at an international level overseas.
While she had promised in a prior interview that surveillance systems around the elevators would be hooked up to that of the Harbour Bridge, on Monday she admitted that works in that regard were not yet orchestrated.
She had said a better surveillance system will be implemented, and will be connected to the existing one at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, to ensure ‘round the clock viewing’ of what goes on around the bypasses.
The elevators at the Eccles, Houston, Diamond and Providence have been installed since June 2018. They were expected to be operational one week later. That has not happened.
The ministry last month reported cases of vandalism on the Diamond and Providence overpasses in which electrical and solar panel lights, ‘no cycle’ and ‘disabled’ signs, corrugated electrical wire covers, earthing connection, and protective covers were stolen. Camera wires were disconnected at the Diamond bypass as well.
The cost for supply and installation of each elevator is tabled at US$61,000. They were bought from Cibes Lifts Group AG, of Sweden. They were supplied and installed by their authorised dealer – RBP Lifts, Trinidad.
A few weeks ago, Kaieteur News had attempted to get a comment on actual date for commencement of operations, and was first told by Senior Engineer, Jermaine Braithwaite, that he could not comment on such matters, and would have to consult with another engineer who is authorised to comment.
He was contacted sometime later (on April 24). He then reported that he had made contact with the other engineer, who indicated that he preferred to have their PR Representative comment on the issue.
Several subsequent attempts by this newspaper had gone unanswered as his phone rang out repeatedly.
The following day he said that he was unable to come up with any information of significance. Contact was then made with the ministry’s PRO, who at that time had indicated that she was not in a position to comment on an operational start time or commissioning of the elevators.
The overhead walkways at Providence and Diamond were each said to be built at a cost of $77M.
Contracts for the other three walkways (Houston, Eccles and Peter’s Hall) were awarded to B & A Civil Works.
Trinidad Company, RBP Lifts Limited, installed the elevators, with RM Engineering overseeing the process. The elevators are said to have a one-year warranty and a quarterly maintenance system in place. The elevators also have a screw-drive system, which is a more simplified and more robust system, so there is no cable, as in the case of normal elevators.