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The govt. is responsible for the cost-of-living-crises
Dear Editor,
Kaieteur News – The talk about high cost of living has become an everyday conversation. How did we get to this unbearable situation is no magic? Since early 2023, I penned my first letter warning the infrastructure Minister, Mr. Edgill, that the excessive installation of speed bumps should not be the choice of solution to the recklessness on our roads. There are hundreds of other solutions that could effectively bring the madness to a screeching halt. I also warned that speed-bumps have a 95% side effects and I shared several examples. However, Mr. Edgill continued to ignore my well research thesis.
Editor, two weeks ago, I was in Berbice. What I saw there was the aggressive use of speed-bumps that is very sicken. I have no doubt that the countrywide estimated number of speed-bumps have reached the two hundred thousand (200,000) mark. I explained in my last letter, late last year, that frequent acceleration causes vehicles to burn five times more fuel. I also mentioned that even if fuel prices dropped, and which it did two times for this year, high fuel consumption will hold us indefinitely to high cost of transportation. Transportation is the heartbeat of every economic activity. Two hundred thousand speed-bumps and its implication of frequent acceleration have rendered every vehicle in this country fuel inefficient. This high cost of inefficiency is factored in to every economic activity in this country.
Editor, I knew since 2023 if government continued this path, we will have a high cost of living crisis that is inescapable. I listened keenly to president Ali’s speech and his plans to lower the high cost of living. It was a combination of fancy terms and words to make an impressive speech but offered nothing of substance. He mentioned the Gas-to-shore project. This project has no guarantee and no known feasibility study that Guyanese could rely on. It bares similar footprint like the Skeldon Sugar Factory and the Amelia Falls project. But even if this project comes on stream, it will not escape the impact of high cost of transportation. President Ali’s speech was just a lofty dream.
In closing, I say, the PPP government through its various ministries have mismanaged this country. They are responsible for the cost-of-living crises we are currently facing. The first mistake the president Ali made was to place a man who doesn’t possess qualifications related to the infrastructure portfolio he holds. The list of mishaps is too numerous to mention. I concurred with the slogan, “for cost of living to low, the PPP must go”.
Yours sincerely
C. Woolford
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Speed Bumps A Must
The only road that I have not seen with speed bumps in the good ole USA are highways. They are found on service roads ( i.e roads that are parallel to the highways), main roads, about 20 feet before a traffic light or stop signs, suburbs or village roads where children tend to run out from their yards or behind parked vehicles and roads where there are shops on both sides. They are also found in school zones, hospital zones and close to playgrounds. Some are even found before fire stations and police stations.
Most highways have strip sleepers that are placed across the highway or graded sleepers about 4 to 6 feet wide that starts immediately from the white line from the left or right side of the highway. Why speed Bumps?
1. It stops you from speeding on the road. I have seen drivers accelerate ( going from 0 mph after leaving the speed bumps to 40 mph in less than a minute. I assume they were mad at the speed bumps!
2. Speed bumps stop you from getting a speeding ticket and 3 points off your driving licence.
3. Speed bumps forces you to slow down. It’s worrisome when you’re late for that appointment and every second counts.
4. Speed bumps stops reckless overtaking. Can you imagine the annoyance it will cause bus drivers? I have seen drivers go as far as they can off the road to avoid them. Graded sleepers there will give them second thoughts.
Now in regards to wear and tear on your brakes, tires, shocks and other parts of your vehicle: it forces you to have “feelings” for that vehicle. Motor vehicles are magnets. Just take your hands off the steering wheel for 1 minute while driving. It will find a lamp post, a parked vehicle, a pedestrian, a ditch to make contact. It will not mind its own business and stay on its side of the road. It must find a contact. Speed bumps and sleepers save you from unnecessary contact ( and speeding).
Speed bumps have a negligent effect on gas usage unless you are mad at them and wants to go from 0 mph to 40 mph in less than 15 feet.
I rather a street with multiple speed bumps than one with none.
A four inch high quarter inch wide steel strip across a road is not a speed bump. It’s a vehicular hazard. Speed bumps have a smooth getting on and off ramp that does not damage any part of a vehicle and are made of concrete. These are unmovable molds that are easily moved with a machinery but not with any vehicular tires. In my community you every road have at least 2 speed bumps before you get to the main road. And that road have sleepers