NA Town Council begins installation of street lights across township
—3,000 residents to benefit
The New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) is very close to delivering on its promise to install street lights in all seven constituencies of its township.
This is according to a release from the Department of Public Information (DPI), which noted that the project, which began on Tuesday, and which is expected to benefit some 3,000 residents, “will in a matter of days, see some 956 high voltage lightemitting diode (LED) street lights being installed”.
The activity is reportedly part of a list of infrastructural works being undertaken currently by the municipality.
The release said that so far, all areas in the Mt. Sinai-Angoy’s Avenue constituency have received lights, while works in Tucber and Smythfield are scheduled to commence shortly. It was stated that on Tuesday, Town Clerk Sharon Alexander, along with the town’s engineer and councilors, visited several areas to inspect the quality of work being delivered by the contractor.
The project to install the lights is being undertaken by Gary Sobers, who was awarded the contract to the tune of $8 million, DPI reported. The release said that according to Chairman of the Municipality’s Works Committee, Councillor Esan Vanderstoop, while there is sufficient material available to conduct the works, and the council wishes to supply each constituency with more than 100 streetlamps, the number they receive will be dependent on the load the transformer can accommodate.
DPI reported that residents expressed gratitude at the initiative, saying that they were satisfied with the works and welcomed the project, which they deemed to be “timely”. Among the concerns raised were the risk of criminal activities which occur at night, which, resident John Wilburg hopes the presence of the lights will help to decrease.
DPI said the council warned that should anyone be found vandalizing public property, action will be taken. The release further related that Inspector Paris,
in charge of the municipality’s constabulary, noted that their team is working to improve New Amsterdam’s policing.
The release noted that in March 2018, for the first time, the Number 19 Village Public Road on the Corentyne coast received streetlights. It further stated that lamps are currently being placed on poles from Borlam to Fyrish, Ulverston to Adventure and Wellington Park to Neville Villages on the Corentyne.
It was also noted that earlier in the year, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure had announced that all of Berbice would soon be illuminated.