In light of another significant accident where a marine vessel crashed into the aged Demerara Harbour Bridge, the Private Sector Commission expresses grave concern and calls on all captains and operators of vessels traversing the Demerara River to take maximum precautions to avoid accidents, especially when in the vicinity of the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
Thousands of Guyanese depend on the bridge to go about their daily lives and hundreds of millions of dollars is lost daily when the bridge is out of commission. Over the past few weeks, there have been significant damages sustained to the bridge due to barges hitting the infrastructure. We are fearful that the frequency of this situation can eventually lead to the Harbour Bridge becoming compromised and out of service for extended periods, causing a national disaster, especially in the context of the major developmental projects that are taking place on both sides of the river.
We are fully aware that increased marine traffic, because of the Oil and Gas industry, exponentially increases the risk of such accidents. Thus, we implore the Government of Guyana to assiduously pursue the highly anticipated New Demerara River Bridge. It is evident that Guyana needs this project to allow for the passage of larger vessels which are required for the proper functioning of the Oil & Gas sector as well as the traditional ones. We envisage that a modern four lane solid state bridge will lead to faster economic growth and maximum utilization of resources on both sides of the river, as there will be 24-hour access daily, thereby positively impacting private sector business and the lives of the citizenry.
The Commission takes this opportunity to urge all regulatory agencies to do better. As we await the findings of the investigation underway, we urge that better systems be put in place to ensure safer operation of this important infrastructure. It is our expectation that the Maritime Administration Department will take a more proactive approach in supervision on the bridge. (PSC press release)
