…warns heavy-duty machine operators about damages to community roads
Operators of excavators and other track machines have been placed on warning by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill who is growing frustrated with the rate at which community roads are being destroyed.
“People with excavators, track machines walking on roads without pads. I have gone to roads that were recently done, and you’re seeing the mark of the machine on the asphalt,” Edghill vented during a press engagement on Friday last.
“The person who is doing it is unconscionable and the people of the community who are beneficiaries of the road must do something to stop it,” the Public Works Minister contended.
He explained that when the asphalt cracks, more severe damages can occur to the road.
“Water gets in. Water is the most dangerous thing for a road. It will start damaging the road and you would have to go back and do it,” Edghill explained.
As such, the Minister is urging persons who have to transport heavy-duty equipment to do it the right way.
“If we have to move heavy equipment, that is why you have low-beds and haulers or if you have to walk, you have to put pads for these machines to walk on. So whether it’s a farmer, whether it’s a contractor, whether it’s a big businessman, I’m making an appeal…we can’t build with one hand and break with the other hand.”
The Minister is also urging residents of these communities to also play a part in in this fight.
“The people who are beneficiaries of the road must do something to stop it…I don’t care if it’s the biggest person in the village, wrong is wrong,” Edghill contended.
Meanwhile, the Minister also made an appeal to persons involved in infrastructural works to be cautious of how they are “dumping” construction materials on the roadways.
“Guyana is in a major construction boom. Everybody is either trying to build, repair and enhance, so we gottp bring in the trucks with the sand, stone and cement.”
“[But] community roads are not built with the same specification like highways and main access roads. So if you bring in a 30-tonne on a community road with sand, and then you put cement on top of the sand, you’re damaging the roads and often times the shoulders of the roads,” Edghill explained.
On another issue, he added: “when we dump sand, stone and other builders’ waste, we can’t block the drains because if water is not flowing, you’re damaging roads because when the rain falls and the water can’t get to drain and go, it’s going to undermine and we’re going to be damaging roads.”
As a solution, Edghill said the Ministry will mull an educational campaign to explained to the public how these simple actions can result in significantly consequences.
“So, I want to appeal to all citizens, watch, especially when using community roads, watch your weight.”
“We got to co-operate with each other we go to be fair to one another,” he added.
