With numerous complaints from commuters using the East Bank Demerara road, the Guyana Police Force is hoping to implement new arrangements which will ease the buildup of traffic, especially during the morning and afternoon peak hours.
Assistant Police Commissioner, Clifton Hicken, who is heading the operation, told the News Room on Tuesday that the new arrangements include opening a new lane from Ramp Road, Ruimveldt to the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
While this is not a concrete decision, markings on the western lane indicate only commuters heading over the bridge will use this new lane. The other arrangements include no undertaking from Diamond to Georgetown.
Hicken explained that this new measure, along with traffic cones placed along the roadway, is to prevent accidents with pedal cyclists and pedestrians.
Additionally, with heavy traffic coming out of Eccles, drivers from this area will only use the eastern lane so there will be no cross over to the western lane heading towards Georgetown.
“What we did [Monday] was a trial run to see how we can help bring the traffic from out of town to take in a southern direction up the [East Bank].
“I think we are at 90% completion in terms of vehicle proceeding north in the mornings, so the reverse in terms of vehicle moving north to south is a work in progress. It is not concrete as yet; we are still doing some tweaking,” the Assistant Commissioner said.
The traffic situation on the East Bank and West Bank of Demerara has worsened over the past few months and with the upcoming Christmas holidays, where it is expected that there will be an increase in traffic, the police force will also be placing ranks at various points along the road to direct traffic.
Meanwhile, Traffic Chief Ramesh Ashram also told the News Room that the regular three-lane traffic arrangement from the Harbour Bridge to Georgetown will not only be implemented in the mornings and the afternoons.
“It is not a specific time, if we get the build-up at 2:30 pm, then we activate the three lanes. We are trying a next system this afternoon and hopefully, everything work out,” the Traffic Chief said.
With the new arrangements, the Traffic Chief said: “if it works out, it will remain forever until we get more roads.”
On Friday last, a new traffic arrangement implemented by the force led to a major backup of traffic on the East Bank and West Bank of Demerara Commuters were stuck in the traffic for more than three hours.
