Relief for commuters using V/Hoop stelling expected by Friday

New steps are expected to be in place at the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling by the end of Thursday, replacing the rotting ones that collapsed recently.

That incident led to significant overcrowding at the water port as hundreds scrambled to board the speedboats docked there during morning and afternoon rush hour periods.

Though a significant level of deterioration is evident at both the Vreed-en-Hoop and Stabroek stellings, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar told the News Room on Thursday that the authorities are focused on repairing the steps at this time.

“The steps for Vreed-en-Hoop are being fabricated elsewhere and then they will launch it tonight [Thursday night].

“The ministry will be paying attention to the other infrastructures at the Stabroek and Vreed-en-Hoop stellings, but repairing the stellings which are really for ferries, I would not want to go there now but we will send the inspection team to check the integrity of the structures and if we have to rehabilitate them, we will,” Indar explained during a telephone interview.

The News Room visited the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling Thursday morning to get a sense of the situation there and was met with hundreds of people lined up, fighting to find a way down the only standing steps to get on a speedboat that would then take them across the Demerara River.

Boat operators were in a rush as passengers flooded the speedboats at a fast pace with only one person from the Speedboat Association working to ensure that persons boarded in a safe manner.

And though the News Room team attempted to solicit comments from the patrons, they refused and were only interested in boarding the speedboats.

The steps collapsed on Tuesday morning and scores of people took to social media to complain about the delays and deplorable condition of the facility.

Thankfully, no one sustained injuries.