“Traffic congestion woes costly to commuters / country – Glenn Lall

Jun 12, 2023 News

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…Oil Sector development causing lots of negative impact to lives”

 

Kaieteur News – Within the last five years, the traffic congestion on the city’s main access roads has doubled, if not tripled in number. This increase of vehicular traffic is no doubt linked to Guyana’s fairly new and developing petroleum sector.

A petroleum sector with much prospect as Guyana’s can mean profitability for the citizens but in this case, it has led to traffic build ups, loss of precious man hours and destruction of the main access roads with little to nothing to show for it.

This issue was brought to the fore by Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall during last Friday’s airing of his self-titled the radio and social media broadcast, The Glenn Lall Show.

During the programme, the publisher spoke candidly of the increase of vehicles, to wit, heavy-duty machinery (trucks) that can be seen plying the various routes on a daily basis.

He explained that “The city of Georgetown is where engine of growth begins and ends.  Georgetown is not only the capital but it is the host for the movers and shakers of this country to operate.”

The businessman noted that every minute of the day, heavy-duty trucks with oil equipment and container trucks with construction material – sand, stone cement – for the oil boom development running on the road and creating havoc in the city.

“As such, these trucks are damaging the roads, is this progress or is this a hell hole?” Lall asked.

The publisher lamented that the time taken to get from one point of the city to another has now tripled.

“I use to take five minutes from my home to work; now I take 20 minutes. What becomes of the thousands of workers that are stuck in traffic daily, heading to and from work? Workers are late everyday which means man hours are lost which means loss of money and productivity…The people on the East Bank, East Coast and the West side [West Bank and West Coast of Demerara] are spending more time in their vehicle trying to get home means less time spent with their family…While these people are stuck in traffic, they could have been doing something better for themselves,” the businessman lamented.

He stressed too that there are many other negative impacts to the traffic problem.

“Every driver knows, every passenger feels it, more time spent in traffic congestion sends up your stress level, causes frustration, and it even causes accidents since drivers lose their concentration.  The situation on the road adds to your mental problems, being in traffic can drain your energy. Even the environment suffers as it is being polluted with the increase of emissions due to the congestion on the roads,” he said.

Lall said that while Guyanese should be handsomely compensated for their oil resources are losing on all sides.

“Time spent in traffic means more fuel you are burning whether in a private or public vehicle. It costs more and citizens have nothing to show it in return,” the Publisher added alluding to the lopsided oil contract that was allowed to suffice by the respective governments under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) as well as the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) where Guyana barely getting a two percent royalty and left with the burden of hosting the oil companies.

“These heavy-duty trucks and containers not only add to the congestion but they are causing a destruction of the roads to service Exxon Mobil and the oil companies These heavy-duty vehicle exert more pressure on the road ways than the regular passenger vehicle due to their weight and size…And then who has to pay for it, the government will then tell you they have to borrow more loans to fix the roads again putting the citizens of this land under pressure to repay it,” Lall reasoned.

He continued, “You have any idea what these container trucks and heavy-duty vehicle are doing to our roads. Heavy duty vehicle destroying the parapets…where there use to be some pot holes now the holes are bigger and it costing you to lose three ways, because if your vehicle drops in one of those pot holes, you got run to the mechanic or spare part shop. So, we have a three-part issue, you have to find money to fix your vehicles, the government has to borrow more loans to fix the roads and find money to fix back the government vehicles and who paying for it… taxpayers and ordinary citizens.”

Added to this, the Publisher said that when the oil company’s vehicle gets damaged, Guyana’s oil money is deducted to fix it.  Lall therefore warned that unless Guyanese speak up against the abuse, the cycle will continue.

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• Change (APNU+AFC), He explained that “The city of Georgetown is where engine of growth begins and ends, The Glenn Lall

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