Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:36 AM
Jul 21, 2014 News
Officials of the Public Works Ministry have confirmed that efforts are underway for the rehabilitation of the Bartica/Potaro road.
Equipment to conduct works has been mobilized to the area to pave sections of the road for temporary relief.
The condition of the Bartica/Potaro road has, within recent years, resulted in heated debates and protest action among residents and regional representatives.
Last week, President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews, in a letter to the press, queried the rationale for the current condition of the Bartica/Potaro road.
Andrews said that during yet another public demonstration, residents and representatives of UMU (Bartica Branch) called upon the Administration to rehabilitate the road, which they described as “deplorable and life threatening.”
The residents questioned the logic of the situation since they said all the materials for building/repairing this road, could be sourced in
Region 7, from Teperu and St. Mary’s Quarries among others.
“There is sand for making Bitumen and an abundance of young, unemployed human resources. What is Guyana’s budgetary allocation for roads in the Bartica/Potaro area? Whatever that is, it should be released immediately.”
The UMU president noted that the Region produces the most and best gold/ diamonds in our very lucrative mining sector, the sale of which contributes significantly to our national coffers.
“Some of the money ought to be spent to properly repair and maintain the roads of this ultra-important region that we fondly refer to as the gateway to the Interior,” he posited.
“The road is so bad the residents aptly call it the Abortion Road’ or the Cassandra Crossing that is if a pregnant woman wants to keep her baby it is better to walk the distance than to use vehicular transportation.”
Protestors and residents of Bartica/ Potaro vowed that the protest action would continue until their demands are met and the road is fixed.
However, during the exercise, the protestors were spoken to by R.D.C & N.D.C Chairman Gordon Bradford and Ovid Benjamin respectively, both acknowledging that the protestors’ concerns had merit and needed to be speedily addressed.
As such, officers attached to the Ministry of Works yesterday disclosed that the area was recently surveyed and the essential equipment brought to the site for the commencement of the rehabilitation.
A source attached to the project explained that $25 million was allocated in this year’s budget, for the rehabilitation of the road at Bartica.
“We have to acquire some hot mix to fix the area, but the problem with the road is that material for surfacing cannot be easily sourced and it cannot be sourced in Bartica.”
Kaieteur News understands that the material which is basically made up of asphalt will place along the road as a temporary fix to the area.
“We are basically working to make the area traversable but more material and additional funds will be needed to facilitate this project… crush and run which can be possibly sourced from B.K quarries,” the source added.
Bartica residents are hopeful that necessary action will take effect to prevent further deterioration of the passage way which has described as a living hell for all road users, especially operators of minibuses and cars that transport the residents and students in the area.
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