More city roads go public; Pres. Ali says ‘no second-guessing’ ambition for PPP-run Georgetown

Weeks after more than 50 roads across the city were designated public roads, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said Aubrey Barker Road in South Georgetown will also be declared a public road, while signalling his desire to see a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)-run city and a PPP-led City Hall.

The announcement came during an address that drew loud applause and a standing ovation from residents and officials gathered for the commissioning of the upgraded roadway.

President Ali made it clear that the designation of roads is part of a wider government push to improve infrastructure and ensure proper maintenance, stressing that the move is not politically driven.

“We are not taking roads for politics,” he said. “We are designating roads as public roads in the cause of progress… We are not playing politics with potholes, we are governing.”

Aubrey Barker Road, which serves several South Georgetown communities, including South Ruimveldt, Festival City, and surrounding areas, has been upgraded into a modern four-lane thoroughfare.

According to the President, the transformation is part of a broader national transport strategy aimed at improving connectivity, reducing travel time, and opening up economic opportunities. He emphasised that improved road networks directly contribute to rising property values and economic growth, pointing to examples where land prices increased by hundreds of percent following infrastructure upgrades.

“Roads carry workers, goods, opportunity, and growth,” he said, adding that development follows wherever modern infrastructure is built.
However, beyond infrastructure, the President’s remarks took a distinctly political turn as he openly expressed interest in greater PPP/C control of the capital’s governance.

“I’m interested in seeing a PPP/C-led City Council. I’m interested in seeing strong leadership at City Hall,” he told the audience.

He argued that Georgetown’s current state does not reflect its potential and that stronger leadership is needed to deliver improved services and match the scale of national development.

“If Georgetown is to become the finest city in the Caribbean, then its infrastructure must match that ambition,” he said, linking both governance and development as necessary for transformation.