Had there been prior community consultations, anticipated hindrances in Jardim Street could have been averted

A copy of this letter was sent to the Chief Roads Officer (on Monday) and to which no response was received. I live on Jardim Street in Triumph Village. A few weeks back workers began what seems like renovation works to Jardim (Jardine) Street in Triumph Village on the East Coast of Demerara. I should be pleased that the relevant authorities saw it fit to do my road, however the road that forms a T with Ogle Street has been neglected for donkey years, while Jardim Street was rehabilitated less than 2 years ago. I rest that issue. It is all well to say that Jardim Street suffered when the bridges on the Railway Embankment Road adjoining Republic Drive BV were being rebuilt. That level of damage could have been averted if when Jardim Street was last done, it was done in order to function as a bypass, which it would have to perform in future.

With regards to Jardim Street, a few years back when GPL was upgrading, I observed that the lamp posts were relocated nearer to the carriage way of the road, I raised the matter with the BV/Triumph NDC and was simply told they consulted with us. My contention then and now is that the new posts were too close to the carriage way and would be a reason to reduce the carriage way. The exact situation occurred when the road was rehabilitated, the carriage way was reduced. Another problem that is evident is that many trucks venturing into Ogle Street would come into contact with the pole, one day it would fall. In recent times we have been hearing that community consultations are a necessary part in any project which should be implemented if it is to meet the needs of the people. I must say that there was no community consultation of this road. It definitely would fall short of the needs of the Community. The present works saw to the widening of the southern drain on Jardim Street, this implicitly would again possibly reduce the carriage.

● A wider drain would not add in any way to improved conditions, all it would do is store more water, since at the output end of the drain is concreted.

● At the beginning of the works, we were told by the Contractor that the road would be 12 feet wide, I indicated to him that it would be narrower than what was there.

● This would not have been if there were consultations.

● Over the last week I observed form boards being laid (a concrete road is in the making), on checking the distance across the road seems less than the insufficient 12 feet. This time I spoke to the workers and they told me that the road would be a one-way road 10 feet wide. A one-way road is not going to be accepted by this community. That leads to the question: Who would police it? This

road, based on its location, would definitely be subjected to less traffic. Bearing in mind that that the carriage way would be of concrete and there was no effort to see to the compaction of the shoulders of this road on which many vehicles would be forced daily in order that traffic flow continues. When the rain falls and this uncompacted soil is driven upon, the result is very well likely to be the need to reconstruct in as we say ‘labba time’. If consultations were done it would have probably resulted in a road fit for twoway traffic. Two-way traffic can still be achieved, but it may mean concreting the southern drain, or moving the GPL/GTT poles that are on the northern side of the carriageway. Another option is to establish two points along the road (it is a short road), to facilitate passage of two vehicles.

Sincerely,

Elton McRae

Resident of Jardim Street