One year later, Minister Patterson still struggles to get one overpass elevator effectively functional

Sep 29, 2019 News

One year later, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure still seems to be struggling with the issue of getting several East Bank Demerara overpass elevators up and running. After several months of waiting, the public must have breathed a sigh of relief just recently when one of the elevators (Demerara Harbour Bridge Junction) was commissioned and made operational.

‘To date only one overpass elevators (Demerara Harbour Bridge) have been made operational.

But none was prepared for the harrowing incident that occurred shortly after when the elevator malfunctioned, trapping an operator and several passengers for over an hour in its confines.
Yesterday, Public Infrastructure Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Krest Cummings, said that the elevators and overpasses were now being managed by the Demerara Harbour Bridge. She directed queries to Engineer, Mark Greene, who indicated that the August 16, 2019 single commissioning ceremony of the Harbour Bridge elevator, served as the main event to declare all other elevators functional.
He indicated that the Harbour Bridge management was responsible for selecting, short listing, and training operators for all five elevator locations (Diamond, Eccles, Houston, Harbour Bridge and Providence). To date, operators have only been stationed at the Harbour Bridge area.
Kaieteur News contacted the Demerara Harbour Bridge’s Human Resource and Public Relations Department, since it was said they too were dealing with the issue, but all efforts to solicit an update proved futile.
Our reporter was informed that the entity’s General Manager was the only person authorised to comment, but he was said to be unavailable and would be in meetings all day.
Meanwhile the commissioning of the elevators so far has missed four deadline dates proposed by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. That has created much disappointment for elderly and disabled citizens who were encountering difficulties in crossing the roads in the very busy intersections at which the elevators and overpasses were positioned.
The elevators at the Eccles, Houston, Diamond and the Demerara Harbour Bridge Junction and have been installed since June 2018, and were expected to be operational one week after. That has not happened.
The Ministry in April reported cases of vandalism on the Diamond and Providence overpasses in which the electrical, and solar panel lights, no cycle and disable signs, corrugated electrical wire covers, earthing connection, and protective covers were stolen. Camera wires were also disconnected at the Diamond bypass as well.
The cost for supply and installation of each elevator is tabled at US$61,000, and were bought from Cibes Lifts Group AG, OF Sweden. They were supplied and installed by their authorised dealer RBP Lifts, Trinidad.
The overhead walkways at Providence and Diamond villages 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, had installed elevators with RM Engineering overseeing the process. The elevators are said to have a one-year warranty and a quarterly maintenance system in place.

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