Persons being trained to assist in using pedestrian overpasses

With elevators installed at the four pedestrian overpasses constructed on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is training persons to assist pedestrians using the lifts in the interim.

“We’re training some youngsters and some senior citizens type persons to assist with the operation of the lifts in the interim so that persons could know how to do it. So they will be stationed at the five overpasses –probably ten persons in shifts,” Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson told reporters during an interview on Wednesday.

As pedestrians become au fait with using the elevators, the Minister said there will be no need for the assistants.

He said the overpasses at Peter’s Hall, Diamond, Providence and Houston were constructed to make it easier for pedestrians using the East Bank road.

The structures will be handed over to the Ministry on Friday after which final inspections will be conducted and they will be commissioned.

To ensure that there is no vandalism of the structure, the Ministry has installed security cameras and other measures.

“We will have some security features, cameras and those things involved so hopefully anybody who does any vandalism will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Patterson said.

The Public Infrastructure Ministry has in the past complained about the vandalism of its traffic lights, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.

A US$364,000 contract was awarded for the pedestrian overpass at Diamond and a US$1M contract for those at Houston, Peter’s Hall at Providence.

The contract for the construction of the overpasses at Houston, Providence and Peter’s Hall was awarded to B & J Civil Works while those at Providence and Diamond were given to S. Jagmohan Hardware.