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Craig/New Hope road turn is a death trap – residents
By Keeran Danny
Frequent accidents, some deadly, within proximity of the turn at Craig/ New Hope along the East Bank Demerara Public Road are worrying residents, who believe the stretch is a “death trap”.
The residents have varying theories for the regularity of accidents.
Residents living in proximity to this turn are worried about the frequent accidents that occur here.
But they are of the opinion that the erecting of road signs, more police presence, and reconstructing that section of the road/bridge could reduce the carnage at this turn.
According to a male resident, about 15 years ago the road was upgraded and since then no major maintenance works were carried out. A few years ago, some signs and reflectors were installed along the road and on the bridge that is on the turn.
The resident recalled that during a community meeting he had asked for road signs warning of the turn to be installed on the roadway. To date, there are no signs warning drivers, particularly strangers to the area, of this “dangerous” turn.
Even with the minor adjustments, accidents continue to occur.
“On average, there is a fatal accident in this area every two years, while almost every other day there are vehicular accidents,” he reflected.
“If you travelling a road every day and know a pothole there you will divert, but strangers don’t know the pothole there. For instance, some people travelling from Berbice to reach the airport don’t know about the turn and don’t navigate it properly.
“Only de other day a vehicle a man and his wife were travelling in run off the road. Like the man didn’t expect de turn and he keep going straight and they end up in de trench”, the resident recounted.
Just last week, two young men were killed and a teenager was injured when the vehicle in which they were traveling slammed into a utility pole and into a fence after swerving off the road.
According to a female resident, while accidents occur at random times, the majority occur during the wee hours of the morning. She suggested that perhaps the passengers were those destined for the airport.
“I observed that is when flights coming in and going out…around 2 o’clock or 3 o’clock in the morning, traffic does be heavy. I believe sometimes they tired and sleepy and lose focus on the turn in the road. Knowing the traffic flow the police should be on the road around that time,” the resident said.
Sharing experiences of some accidents she witnessed, the woman recalled that last November on her birthday there was a terrible accident on the public road and not too long after a motorcyclist rode into a parked truck injuring himself.
She opined that speed and drunk driving could also be other reasons for the accidents. She said that vehicles sometimes approach the area at high speed and the drivers do not even reduce their rate at the turn.
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