The deployment of traffic ranks from several police divisions along with the opening of the new Eccles to Mocha Road allowed for the smooth flow of traffic along the East Bank corridor for the inaugural Cricket Carnival.
Regional Commander (ag) Mahendra Singh explained that the reduction in traffic congestion during this period is also due to the full cooperation of supporting departments with Guyana Police Force. He particularly named the deployment of the Anti-Crime Patrol.
“The deployment is aimed at supporting what the traffic ranks are doing, so when there isn’t a traffic rank at a particular point and where they might be an attempt to commit a felony or a blockage or something, the [Anti-Crime Patrol] come into play and ensures clearance,” Commander Singh explained.
According to him, what the police is doing is “nothing special”.
“You see it isn’t nothing special, it is just to ensure that you are on the ball and achieving something.
“For the cricket the temporary opening of that Eccles to Red Road piece of road, that helped us tremendously. People coming from Georgetown, going to Eccles, Farm, Greenfield, Mocha, Diamond and forward, it helped tremendously to drain that traffic,” the Commander related.
He added: “In terms of resources to support the drain of the traffic, that came from a countrywide perspective, meaning traffic ranks from all the regions.”
He explained that managing the traffic during this period required a “hands-on-the-ground” approach and this he said has been happening.
The final match of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games in Guyana is scheduled for Friday evening. The Force had anticipated major traffic congestion on the days of the matches given the fact that tickets were all sold out.
Part of the traffic plan includes no parking along the East Bank Demerara Public Road between the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Peter’s Hall, and the National Stadium, Providence.
There is paid parking along the Providence Access Road and this road only facilitates traffic proceeding east.
Persons were also urged to carpool to help lessen the traffic congestion.
Aside from traffic ranks, traffic signs and cones were also erected along the road to help persons navigate their way to the matches and beyond the stadium.
