Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 12, 2013 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
In 2007, the government invested more than US$1M in traffic lights. Six years later, motorists in Guyana are pleading for these lights to be turned off.
This plea is not taking place only in Guyana. Many Caribbean countries are experimenting with alternatives- such as roundabouts- to traffic lights because they too are experiencing congestion on their roads.
Instead of easing the traffic woes, traffic lights are compounding the problem of traffic jams, particularly during peak traffic hours. This is true on the East Bank Public Road where the installation of traffic lights has made an already chaotic traffic situation worse.
A simple change like removing these lights and having human traffic directors will make a world of difference to the movement of vehicles on that important corridor; but we live in a country which hardly sees the value of small changes that can have huge impacts.
Instead, the focus is on building new roads, widening others and investing in other costly infrastructures. But the building of new roads has only worked to ease transportation woes in areas of low population density. If homes and businesses are spread out on spacious grounds, these roads would make a difference and traffic jams are more often than not made extinct by investment in infrastructure.
As V.S. Naipaul observed during his very first visit to Guyana, Guyanese have crowded themselves into a narrow strip and this huddle is what is at the heart of most of our problems, from crime to illegal vending to traffic jams.
The way around this problem is not through massive investments in new roads. We cannot build road infrastructure fast enough to take off the geometric increase in motor vehicles on our roadways.
In fact, we will sooner than later be unable to afford the infrastructure that will be required if we continue to believe that this is how the transportation woes can be solved.
We should instead be concentrating on changing the way people travel. If we change the way people travel, we will solve our traffic problems.
If more persons travelled with public transport, the number of vehicles using our roadways would be lessened but this would also require a significant increase in public investment in bus terminuses and parks etc. Guyanese public transport operators do not have the discipline to make such systems work.
One of the solutions would be for the government to bring in and operate large buses that would move persons by express- that is without stops along the way- from one point to another.
Thus, for example, there can be express large-bus services provided by the government from Diamond to Georgetown. If you have five buses, each carrying fifty persons making a daily shuttle, it will help reduce the congestion on the roads.
The same can be done for other areas such as from Georgetown to Berbice, Georgetown to Mon Repos, Georgetown to Parika etc. But the service has to be express since if stops have to be along the route, this will make the time for the commute longer and will discourage passengers from using the service.
Schoolchildren are one of the main causes for congestion on our roads. If school buses can be reintroduced in a way that would allow each of the major high schools’ to have its fleet of large buses, it appreciably reduce the number of vehicles on our roadways at peak hours on weekdays.
Other countries have tried changing the mode of transportation used instead of building new roadways and expanding others. And they have had successes. So why should we not do the same?
Instead of building four-lane highways, why not stick to two-lane public roads and use the other two lanes for bicycle and motorcycle commute. In parts of the city why not close off entire blocks to vehicle during the day and instead create drop-off and pick–up points?. That will help to ease the congestion.
The point is, that instead of expending billions upon billions in constructing new roads, it may be much better in the long-term if attention is paid to altering the way people commute.
Jagdeo giving Exxon 102 cent to collect 2 cent.
Apr 25, 2024
By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – The French Diplomatic Office in Guyana, in collaboration with the Guyana Olympic Association and UNICEF, hosted an exhibition on Tuesday evening at the...Kaieteur News – Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, persists in offering... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]