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Goedverwagting residents complain about deplorable roads
By Wayne Lyttle
Kaieteur News – Residents of the Goedverwagting on the East Coast of Demerara have voiced their concerns on the deplorable state of the access bridges and the main access roads in the village. They are pleading with the Industry/Plaisance Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and other relevant authorities to address the matter urgently. According to some residents, the roads had begun eroding for some number of years.
The deplorable roads in Vaughn Street has been promised to fix since two years. This is the condition that it is in today.
Scene of the undeveloped access road in the Goedverwagting Village.
The main access bridge leads from the Railway Embankment into Goedverwagting remains in deplorable state.
The condition, which Middle Street remains in after a number of years.
Construction needed for a new access bridge from Area ‘K’ of Goedverwagting into Plaisance.
When Kaieteur News visited the area and spoke to some of the residents, they complained that ever since they have been living in the area for a number of years, there has been no maintenance work of any sort by the relevant authorities. They complained about the drainage and irrigation system in the district and said that the resulting floods pose many health risks to them and their families; additionally, there are the issues of the overgrown bushes that criminals could be lurking to attack them, and the deplorable state of the road.
Mr. Marvyn Allen, a retired Staff Sergeant of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said he has been living in the area for over 25 years and there has been no development as such in the area.Mr. Allen indicated, that the drainage system needs to be facilitated and the main access bridge that leads from Area ‘K’ of Goedverwagting into Plaisance needs tremendous work and maintenance however, the bridge is currently used by schoolchildren. As a result, the students will be affected by the condition that the bridge is in presently.
“This road in 1992 was done under the late President Jagan and after then this road was never been repaired. Nothing has been done to it ever. It is in a deplorable state; it needs urgent fixing,” one other resident said.
He highlighted that, there is one part of the road that has some huge potholes. Due to the condition of the road, it is not suitable to drive on and vehicles have to divert to another road.
He also indicated that Middle Street, which is primarily the main roadway in the community, is uneven and the drivers have to manoeuvre their vehicles in a slant way in order for them to pass.
He also stated that the road was promised to be fixed by the Prime Minister, Mark Phillips when PM Phillips attended one of the residents father’s 102 birth anniversary on November 15, 2020, but unfortunately after months passed by, no development was made.
Mr. Rodwell Lewis Chairman of the Plaisance/Industry Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).
He pleads that the relevant authorities to deal with the matter urgently.
“When the rain fall, we have to slush our way through the slushy roads we have,” another resident said.
“The Chairman of Plaisance, Mr. Rodwell Lewis may be reluctant in addressing issues at their diminutive stage; instead they wait to address the situation until it would’ve matured into a major disaster,” that resident stated.
Meanwhile, residents of Middle Street complained that they are unable to access transportation to take them to their homes because of the condition of the road and they noted that taxi drivers demand outrageous sums of money to take them into the area.
They went on to say that the relevant authorities should place more emphasis on the community because of the rapid deterioration in the area. They added that those authorities should start repairing the roads and clear the drains so they can prevent the regular flooding.
The residents also suggested that measures should be put into place to control the number of heavy-duty vehicles going into the little cross-streets and bridges because the roads are not built to take the weight. This, residents said, breaks up the roads, causing potholes while no action is being taken to have them mended.
The residents are also calling Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill and Minister within the Public Ministry Deodat Indar to look into the matter urgently. Further, they stated that Mr. Lewis is not committed to the roles and responsibilities as a NDC Chairman and should be removed from his post.
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