Guyana will be receiving support from India in advanced traffic management as talks between the two nations advanced on April 18 ahead of a visit from India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill and his team led the discussion with the Secretary of India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
A post from the official MoRTH page said Senior MoRTH officials who were present during the meeting included AS (Transport) Shri Mahmood Ahmed, JS (Logistics & Toll) Shri S.P. Singh, Director Shri Paresh Goel, Director (New Technology) Shri Bidur Kant Jha, CGM NHAI Shri K.V. Singh and others.
Over the years, Guyana’s traffic woes have become worse, especially in the capital – the South American nation’s epicenter of oil and gas operations. Traffic would be backed up for miles, moving at a snail’s pace during rush hours leading to a negative impact on the level of output of Guyanese citizens.
In the five years leading up to 2022, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) found that more than 100,000 new vehicles were registered in Guyana with 1,176 vehicles registrations occurring every month.
The country’s road density, (0.024) is far below the LAC average (0.462), and the limited road network constrains the movement of goods and people, said Economist Dr. Meredith McIntyre. He said investments here are likely to have large economic impacts on the productivity of all sectors.
The government has been expanding Guyana’s road network using funds accrued from oil sales. Four-lane highways are planned for major regions – some already executed like the Eccles-to-Mandela highway, and upgrades to community road infrastructure.
Guyana is also building a new bridge structure across the Demerara River, connecting the East and West Banks of Demerara. At a cost of US$260 million, it is expected to significantly reduce congestion around both corridors.
The new bridge will be instrumental in supporting the oil and gas sector in Guyana, as companies establish facilities on the West Bank and West Coast of Demerara, including the Gas-to-Energy project.
