By Royan Abrams
Following numerous complaints to the Region Six Democratic Council (RDC) in Berbice about the badly damaged roads and access bridge at the Glasgow New Housing Scheme on the East Bank of Berbice, residents are becoming frustrated.
When News Room visited the area recently, several huge pot holes filled with water were visible and according to residents, this has been the condition for a number of years. They lambaste the RDC for not taking any action when they are required to pay taxes.
Speaking with the News Room, Colleen Lindo who has been living in the area for over 25 years, noted that the condition of the streets have led to drivers charging additional sums to take passengers into the scheme.
“I don’t know what them doing with this road, this road ain’t good, yo gah pay rates and tax and when yo nah pay, yo gah pay how much money fuh come inside, meh gah pay $200 sometime $300 to go into the scheme because the scheme ain’t good, the road in good so the people gatto come now and do something about the road because the road nah good” she said.
According to Lindo, the RDC would occasionally patch the roads, but within weeks it would return to its deplorable state.
Another resident Simone Saurs related that when it rains, students living in the area cannot attend school because of the condition of the roads.
She also noted that the issues with the roads and the bridge were raised with the RDC but they keep making promises.
Meanwhile, regional chairman, David Armogan when contacted said that the scheme falls under the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council. He added that since they are collecting the rates and taxes from the residents it is their responsibility to repair the roads in the Glasgow New Housing Scheme.
However, the Mayor of New Amsterdam, Kirt Wynter explained that the Housing Scheme was recently handed over to the Town council, therefore they are now in the process of collecting taxes and evaluating the area before works can be done on the roads.
He added that the council is making arrangements to seek assistance from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to do rehabilitation works on the roads as the council do not have the amount of financial resources required to get the job done. He also assured residents that works will begin shortly.
