Promise kept! Entire New Amsterdam will be lit
─ project commenced and will cost $8M
─ residents welcome municipality’s initiative
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, March 6, 2019
The master initiative undertaken by the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) to install street lights in all seven constituencies across the township commenced on March 5.
This move by the municipality to illuminate the entire district, will in a matter of days, see some 956 high voltage light-emitting diode (LED) street lights being installed. The project, which is expected to benefit close to 3,000 residents, is among a list of infrastructure works currently being undertaken by the municipality.
According to Chairman of the Municipal’s Works Committee, Councillor Esan Vanderstoop, the contract was awarded to Gary Sobers, to install the lights at the cost of $8M. He said while they are sufficient materials available and the council desires to provide each constituency with more than 100 streetlamps, the actual number installed will depend on the load the transformer can accommodate.
On Tuesday, Town Clerk, Sharon Alexander along with the town’s engineer and councillors, visited several areas to inspect the quality of work provided by contractor Sobers. Thus far, all the areas in the Mt. Sinai-Angoy’s Avenue constituency have received lights; while works in the Tucber and Smythfield locations will commence shortly.
Additionally, the council warned of the action it will take, should anyone be seen vandalising public property. Inspector Paris, who is in charge of the municipality constabulary, noted that her team is working assiduously to upgrade the town’s policing activity.
Meanwhile, several residents of New Amsterdam have since expressed their satisfaction with the works undertaken by the M&TC and welcomed the street lights installation project, which they deemed as timely.
Speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Okessa Barker said that her community was neglected for more 23 years under the previous administration. “I must say how happy I am with this. I wasn’t suffering alone; I also have several neighbours who need these developments that we are now seeing after 23 years,” Barker said.
Allison Simon, a lawyer’s clerk and a resident said, “my area always has people walking late at nights, and you don’t know who it is because of how dark the street is. At least with these lights, I can see from a distance who is coming and going. It also helps with security.”
Another resident, John Wilburg says most times he is out at nights. Wilburg, like all the others, noted that with the installation of the LED lights, robberies and other unlawful activities would decrease.
For the first time in history, in March of 2018, the Number 19 Village Public Road on the Corentyne coast received streetlights. Currently, lamps were also placed on poles at Borlam to Fyrish, Ulverston to Adventure and Wellington Park to Neville Villages on the Corentyne.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI), earlier this year, announced that the entire Berbice will be illuminated very soon.
Story and Images: Kellon Rover