PREPARE FOR 2 DAYS OF MADNESS!

The main cause of the EastBanktrafficwoesisthe movement of traffic to and from the Demerara Harbour Bridge The number of vehicles using the bridge eachdayisestimatedatmore than 22,000 and if the authorities were observing, they would notice that 7o% of the motor cars using the bridge have less than 2 passengers.

When the Demerara Harbour Bridge is operational, the traffic situation to and from West Demerara becomes a daily nightmare Imagine the ensuingchaosthatwillresult as a consequence of the closureofthebridgeforfour daysfromJuly24.

The purpose of the closure is to replace a span onthebridge.Thatprocessis expected to take a full four days during which time, the bridge will be totally closed tovehiculartraffic.

The Ministry of Public Works and the Demerara Harbour Bridge Inc are reportedly planning for this

3-day closure. Among the planswhicharebeingputin placeareatwenty-four-hour service of speed boats and ambulances, free shuttle between the Vreed-en-Hoop junction and the stelling. Thoseplansarenotgoingto bringrelief.Theyaremerely attempts to alleviate the chaos that will result. A twenty-four-hourspeedboat service raises serious safety concerns.And a free shuttle from the Vreed-en-Hoop junctiontothestellingisnot goingtoeasethecongestion thatwillresultatthestelling. No number of plans is going to be of much relief unlessthereisareductionin the number of pedestrians using the speedboat crossings. What has to be managed is the number of persons using the river crossing.Withtheclosureof the bridge for days, the almost 40,000 persons who crisscross the bridge each daywillberequiredtotravel by speedboat It is impossible for the present fleet of speed boats to take

Dem Boys Seh...

offthisincreaseintraffic.

Permission has reportedly been given for a second crossing with the possibility of a third boat crossing. The objective here is obviously to avoid the overcrowding at the Stabroek and Vreed-enHoop Stellings But a second and a third crossing are not going to bring much relief because there are simply not enough boats to take off the increase in the number of persons who will have to now cross the river by speedboat. You will still have overcrowding at the Vreed-en-Hoop and StabroekStellingsbecauseit willmeanfewerboatsplying thoseroutes.

Assuch,thereislikelyto be a serious back-up of persons waiting to cross the river Thisisgoingtopresent problems for human safety Very few speedboats are going to be able to work for twenty-four hours. This suggestion shows the flaws intheplanningprocess.

The boat operators are