KINGSTON - Speeding remains the major cause of road accidents on the country’s roadways, according to a recent report from the Road Safety and Traffic Department within the Ministry of Public Works.
For March 2015, six fatal traffic accidents were recorded with eight fatalities compared to seven fatal accidents and thirteen deaths in February 2015.
“The age groups of persons killed on the roads for March were between 19 and 67 years old. All eight fatalities were male,” the report stated.
Three were passengers, three pedestrians, one motorist and one driver.
Driving under the influence (DUI) and overload of vehicles were other factors that contributed to the accidents.
During the observance of National Road Safety Month last November, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn had stated that most of the fatalities involved young men between ages 18-35.
He stressed that Guyanese need to adapt the culture of safety on the roadways because “the country needs its young population for continued development.”
KINGSTON - At around 09.00 hrs Wednesday May 22, while the M.V. Sabanto was manoeuvring to depart the Parika Ferry Stelling she pivoted against a mooring bollard resulting in its collapse.
Four (4) bollards were emplaced for operations. Divers will examine the damaged structure to help determine its re-instatement.
Meanwhile, operations will continue - albeit with more time now necessary for mooring and departure at Parika.
Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
KINGSTON - Sometime during the hours of darkness last Friday evening April 17 or early Saturday morning April 18, an unidentified Catamaran was discovered stranded on the Mofarm Foreshore, Wakenaam, Essequibo River.
There was no sign of the crew and the vessel was vandalized.
Law enforcement officers initially inspected the vessel. They were followed by an officer from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) who was dispatched to the area on Sunday to also commence investigations into the circumstances which may have caused the vessel to make landfall in Guyana, and the status of its crew.
On Sunday evening it was successfully salvaged and taken to a more secure location at Wakenaam. The vessel’s name and port of Registry were not visible.
On Monday afternoon a German identification card (#802861887) in the name of Axel Verlohr of Nurenberg, and a note were discovered on the vessel. The note also contained the name and telephone numbers of a woman in Germany, who has since been contacted and who has identified herself as Verlohr’s sister.
According to the woman, he was supposed to be travelling alone from an Island off the West Coast of Africa to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
All of the relevant national law enforcement agencies are involved in investigating this occurrence, and MARAD is also pursuing the discovery with the German Authorities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was informed of this development.
KINGSTON - As part of its continuous safety campaign, a team from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) travelled to Region # 2, Pomeroon-Supenaam on April 17, 2015 to distribute life jackets and erect safety signs.
A total of one hundred and ninety two (192) children’s lifejackets were distributed to four schools in the Pomeroon River; namely Martindale Primary School, Marlboro Primary School, Lilydale Primary School and the Hackney Primary School.
The heads of these schools gleefully accepted the lifejackets on behalf of their students and expressed their gratitude for this timely initiative. The Officers from the Department demonstrated to the students and teachers the proper way in which they are to be worn, and stressed the importance of wearing a lifejacket every time when on an open boat.
Meanwhile, safety posters were erected at the Supenaam and Charity Stellings.
The Maritime Administration Department will continue with campaigns of this nature throughout the country with the hope that it will inculcate a maritime safety consciousness in Guyana, an attitude of wearing a lifejacket, and most importantly saving lives on our waterways.
KINGSTON - The Ministry of Public Works denounces the assertion that the Ministry promised to provide homes to squatters occupying airport lands as stated in the Kaieteur Newspaper’s April 17 publication.
The article captioned ‘Works Ministry threatens to arrest, charge Timehri squatters – residents ask for promised homes’ suggests that such guarantees were made to squatters.
The Ministry believes that this false claim is a deliberate attempt to distract the general public from the squatters’ blatant disregard for the law.
For years, officials from the Ministry and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) have actively engaged squatters on the relocation plans either on a one-on-one basis and/or at community meetings.
In fact, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, representatives from the Ministries of Housing, Human Services, Local Government, as well as, Lands and Survey Commission came to the airport and met with Timehri North residents. During those meetings, relocation options were outlined which were limited to the following:
· The provision of a house lot in existing schemes of the CH&PA.
· Transportation assistance for the relocation existing of transportable homes
· Establish a community at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke Highway to include social services such as a playground, a Nursery School, Day Care Centre; public open spaces, and reserved sites for future community use.
A 2013 census revealed that out of the 138 squatters interviewed, 45 percent was desirous of being relocated to Yarrowkabra, while others indicated interest in existing East Bank of Demerara (EBD) housing schemes namely: Covent Garden, Farm and Providence.
No undertakings were ever given by the Ministry of Public Works for the provision of houses.
The Ministry remains committed to the development of the airport expansion and for the smooth transitional process in the relocation of squatters.
KINGSTON - Twenty-one boat captains and bowmen operating on the Parika – Supenaam Passenger Boat Service received First-Aid training at Parika, Region 3 Essequibo Islands - West Demerara on April 11, 2015.
This is the first in a series of sessions for the area which are part of an overall initiative by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) to equip boat operators throughout Guyana with First-Aid skills, in the event of a situation, they can administer basic medical assistance.
First-Aid training for boat operators in the country commenced with the captains and bowmen from the Georgetown - Vreed-en-Hoop Passenger Service on February 8, 2015. So far, some 121 were trained at Transport and Harbours Sports Club.
The training is being delivered by Reliance Health Care Training Group in collaboration with MARAD.
The next First-Aid training session for operators on the Parika - Supenaam Boat service is scheduled for April 19, 2015 in Supenaam.
The Maritime Administration Department is pleased to be promoting this training which is all part of its mandate of promoting maritime safety.
KINGSTON - The Ministry of Public Works is extremely disturbed and disappointed by the barefaced actions of squatters who continue to clear lands vested to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
Despite repeated warnings by the Police law enforcement officers, squatters persist to clear and burn sections of lands to erect structures and farm.
On Thursday, April 9, 2015, CJIA staff and police stumbled upon this renewed activity in Timehri North, in the vicinity of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Ammo Dump and the Non-Directional Beacon (NDB). The squatters were cautioned to discontinue their actions.
The Ministry cannot condone squatting on lands allocated for the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) – the country’s main port of entry for international travelers.
‘Cease and desist’ signs will be erected in the area shortly. Law enforcement officers will arrest and charge anyone who breaches the order.
The Ministry and the Airport Authority, since 2008, have held meetings and engaged in one-on-one conversations with squatters on relocation options, the airport expansion and health and safety risks of living in close proximity to the Airport.
Efforts have been made to encourage squatters to apply to the Lands and Surveys Commission for suitable alternative lands; however, many still refuse to take up the offer.
The airport expansion is crucial to Guyana’s development, and the Ministry and CJIA remain committed to the project.
The MPW wonders what has stimulated the resumption of squatting on Airport and Public Lands earmarked for a critical national development project.
At the same time, helping squatters relocate to suitable areas to ensure their source of income/livelihood is sustained is also top on the Ministry’s list of priorities.
KINGSTON - Ronald Mayers, a Charlestown resident and food vendor, said that the resurfacing of Adelaide Street, Charlestown is one which was well executed and will alleviate the difficulty vehicles and pedestrians had in traversing the road.
On April 11, 2015, the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) through its Force Account Unit surfaced critical sections of the road with asphaltic concrete. The project cost MPW GY $4M.
“About a month ago, I had spoken to Minister [Robeson] Benn when he passed through here about the deplorable condition of the road,” disclosed Mayers, a food vendor. “He promised to get it done, and I am pleased that he came through for us because the previous condition of it was really bad. Good job.”
Prior to the upgrade, certain sections of the road were filled with huge potholes.
Twenty-six year old Ryan Jones recalled that when it rained heavily the road was ‘virtually impassable to vehicular traffic.’
“I am really pleased with the change. Everything nice,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Mentise, head of the FAU, stated that the newly resurfaced thoroughfare will also facilitate the easy flow of traffic from the East Bank Demerara during peak hours.
Speed humps were constructed on the road to curb speeding.
In 2014, the FAU spent GYD 604M to maintain 359 kilometres of roads in the Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and ALL declared public roads.
Vlissengen Road, Irving Street, Mandela Avenue, Duncan Street, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, Homestretch Avenue, University of Guyana Road, Irving Street, Water Street, Carifesta Avenue, Sea Wall Road, Railway Embankment; Camp Road, Barrack Street, West Coast Demerara, East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara roads were some of the roads upgraded.
Details of works carried out on the roads included: minor rehabilitation of local failure; pothole patching; crack fill longitudinal/transverse/edge cracks; levelling and apply thin overlay to rutting; minor rehabilitation of local failure; surface seal block cracking; road safety maintenance (road marking and signs); cleaning or clearing of existing drains; grading and shaping of road shoulders; and revetment installation.
TIMEHRI - Passengers, who arrived at main port of entry over the Easter weekend, were surprised with kites and cross buns, two popular symbols of the Easter observance in Guyana.
From Good Friday to Easter Sunday, April 3 to 5, staff of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) distributed kites to passengers throughout the respective days.
The Commercial and Administration Department purchased 200 plus kites for the occasion, as part the airport’s promotional drive to celebrate Easter.
The gesture was well received, especially for tourists who were travelling to Guyana for the first time.
“I really like it…it is something that made me smile and feel welcomed,” said Miguel Gonzales through a translator. He is a Venezuelan, who arrived from on CONVIASA on Saturday, April 4.
The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), on Thursday, April 2 handed out cross buns and kites to passengers that arrived during the morning period. Similarly, the management of Dynamic Airways distributed the same to its passengers on Saturday morning.
KINGSTON - Seven roads completed The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) continues to upgrade and repair miscellaneous roads with seven roads completed in Regions 3 and 4 within the last month.
The project falls under the Miscellaneous Roads Programme, and allows the Works Services Group (WSG) – an agency within MPW - to construct and maintain roads in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
In Region 3, residents of Factory Road, La Grange now have an asphaltic concrete road, which was previously a mud dam. The newly resurfaced road will also benefit farmers who ply the road to transport their produce.
SYMS executed the project at a cost of GY $6,792,417.
Meanwhile, R&B Investment used asphaltic concrete to upgrade Orinduik Street located in Section C, Enterprise, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Prior to the upgrade, the double bituminous surface treatment (DBST) thoroughfare was riddled with potholes. The Contractor surfaced 427 meters of the road to the tune of GY $23,909,620.
Further, the Prince William Street in Plaisance, ECD [southern section] was re-surfaced with asphaltic concrete by Associated Construction for GY $11.8M. An additional GY $4.4M is allocated to rehabilitate sections of the southern road.
Other roads upgraded were School Street, Enterprise; Middle Walk Friendship; Enmore Factory Road and Second Street, Happy Acres for an overall cost of GY36.8M
All contracts were awarded on December 31, 2014.
Works commenced in January and all were completed February month-end.
