Deputy Toshao debunks claims about Linden-Lethem Road

─ minibuses have access to road
─ cases of drop in fuel prices due to improved travel time on road

DPI, Guyana, Sunday, June 16, 2019

Deputy Toshao of Toka, a North Rupununi Village in Region 9, Eugene Isaac has refuted the spurious claims that have circulated in an article purporting to characterise the Linden to Lethem road project in a negative light.

In an exclusive interview with DPI, Deputy Toshao Isaac called on Guyanese to be fair in their critique, noting, “I do not find the comments being fair because minibuses are passing on the road”.

Moreover, in his praise of the project, Isaacs said, “there is fairly good road. There is no part on that road from Kurupakari right up to Mabura that you can actually say is impassable. We have seen that there were even problems up to last year, where there were real big holes in the road, but nevertheless those things are fixed. It’s a bygone right now.”

On the other hand, the Toka Deputy Toshao revealed that the Lethem to Annai road has been fixed with the exception of a few minor improvements that are needed on the approaches to Pirara bridge. He mentioned that on minor sections of the road, the surface appears to be a bit smoother than usual, but expressed confidence in the smooth sections being remedied. “The main thing here is that I am seeing machinery on the road fixing the road at this time, which never happened before. I have never seen this since the road started to break up. So, that is a big plus.”

Reflecting on the former state of the Linden-Lethem road, the Indigenous leader related, “every year before we used to have problem. Every year real major problem, [but] this year we don’t have no major problem.” While the journey may have lasted up to a day during last year’s rainy season, the Deputy Toshao explained that the journey from Toka to Lethem can be completed in about an hour now. This is attributed to the improved roadway.

The ongoing works have had a lasting impact on the Toka Indigenous community. “You feel real nice like somebody is thinking about you… it kind of make you feel like something is happening… There’s going to be improvement. It gives you hope for a better road,” the Deputy Toshao declared.

Toka village and many others have also benefited from stable fuel prices. This is so due to the reduction in transit time of the fuel tankers. Referencing his recent travel to Georgetown, Deputy Toshao Isaac remarked, “the price at one of the fuel stations had drop a little bit. So, rather than going up at this time of the season, you see it coming down.” The Toka leader further added, “those kinds of things take the pressure off the people”.

“I believe that generally they’re doing a good job, and especially on the Lethem road. I want to commend the government, you know and let them keep the work up and keep their contractors because these men are doing an excellent job. I’ve never seen the road lifted [elevated] over the years,” Isaacs told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Construction of the 450km Linden to Lethem road began this year under the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. Phase one includes building 125km of road as funding was received from the UK Caribbean Infrastructure Partnership Fund (UKCIPF). The project aims to bridge the gap between the Coastland and the Hinterland.

Images: Shaquille Bourne