MPI should have fixed traffic lights before acquiring elevators

Oct 13, 2019 Letters

Dear Editor,

There seems to be a growing concern about the wastage of state funds by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) on 10 elevators for the five overpasses on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) public road.
The framework for these elevators had long before held their prominence on the overpasses as “white elephants”, while the date for the commencement of their operation kept rolling back. Sadly! The elevators never offered a chance to create any pleasant memories, beyond the sticking in the air for hours with a few people.
News of that incident has permanently condemned the elevators to “white elephant” status. This is evident by the fact that people are not using the functional elevators at the Harbour Bridge. Public confidence on the elevators shattered. People have seen too many movies of people trapped in elevators. They would rather creep or crawl up the flight of steps to the walkway.
In this regard it would be prudent for the Government to let the elements (thieves, vandals and the weather) take care of the ten elevators, rather than to continue wasting monies on them.
None of the commentators who wrote about the elevators was able to say what was the damage to the state’s purse, in terms of price incurred for these elevators – compliments of accountable Governance promised by the Coalition.
If something of this nature had happened while the PPP was in Government and APNU/AFC were in opposition, the penguins on the South Pole would have heard them screaming “fowl”. Don’t be surprised if the elevators cost more than the overpasses when that information (price for the elevators) becomes public knowledge.
A Charles Sohan wrote in KN: “Elevators are new to us and complex.”
It would have been prudent to master something (traffic lights) that had been with us and served us well over five decades before moving to elevators.
Traffic lights have been preventing the loss of lives and damage to vehicles through accidents. They are known to provide a safe conduit to both pedestrians and vehicles using the roads. The traffic lights on the Eccles public road had not been working for two weeks.
There are many in the city that has not been working for longer periods.
No one seems to miss the lights when the traffic cops are out directing traffic.
When the cops are gone, the Eccles junction is reminiscent of scenes from the environs of a watering hole on the African Savannahs where lions, leopards, hyenas and other predators hunt their prey.
The government’s think-tank never saw the wisdom in our skilled technicians mastering traffic lights or a contract to upgrade same, before moving to elevators.
Guyana has been a spawning ground for corruption since independence.
Conspiracy theorist is of the opinion that 10 percent of what it would take to keep all our traffic lights up and running and well maintained is chicken feed to the minister responsible for our infrastructure, bearing in mind that 10 percent is assumed as the minimum for standard operational plunder (SOP) for ministers in awarding of contracts.
On that note, the Minister obviously sees no reward to safeguard the commuting public by inducing any degree of constancy in our traffic lights.
Ministers have the luxury of wailing sirens and flashing lights offered by the police force when they commute, the lesser folks are condemned to be part of the road rage.

Rudolph Singh

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