Residents laud enhancement project in Albouystown

Residents benefitting from the enhancement project at Independence Boulevard (Punt Trench Dam), have expressed gratitude for the initiative, which they said will enhance the community, provide job opportunities, and allow them to participate in recreational activities.

The project will see the development of the 1.8-kilometre Independence Boulevard, stretching from Saffon Street to Cemetery Road, Georgetown.

Many have lauded the government’s timely development of their community.

Resident, Junior Sturge expressed, “the development that I’m seeing is reasonable and nice. That place becomes very beautiful to me. And the place showing me that it brings a point in me that what they had for the last couple years what they were trying to plan to do, it ends up showing me that it will succeed, that it looks beautiful to me.”

Sturge said he was grateful for the opportunity to be employed.

Another resident, John Heywood said the enhancement project will uplift the community, “It’s being an upliftment in the community as a whole.” 

Resident, Manzoor Ali noted that the project is a wonderful idea for the residents to engage in various activities. He said “the developments, so far, looking good…The people in the community would love to have this project going on.”

Margaret Rampersaud said that the ongoing works along Independence Boulevard are extremely good for the community, “because we could cross better, we’ll have better facilities to sit in the afternoons, have a nice afternoon walk.”

Importantly, she added, that it will help to alleviate the traffic from Lombard Street to within the community.

“It will be beautifying now and it won’t be a bad stain anymore on Albouystown. People give Albouystown a bad name which is very bad because I’ve lived for a couple of years well here, and I have no problem. It will bring us back together since we’ll have somewhere to sit, cooperate, and be nice to each other,” Rampersaud emphasised about the misconception some people have about the community.

Leelle Hunte, who has been in the community for 89 years, said “The project is very nice. It’s very becoming. It will raise the outlook of the community and I feel sure that prices for house lots will be going up because of this.”

Mother of three, Joy Smith stated that the enhancement project is a good initiative for the area for many.

Sarah Gaspar noted that the project will help to uplift the entire area.

“I love the project for the area. This will bring up the area here,” Andrew Beckles said.

Meanwhile, another resident, Wilfred Ramjohn said, “It will be very good. It’s a very good something for Albouystown and the people of Albouystown…This is very good what we’re doing here. I do sit down here and admire, what’s going on out here because I know someday it will be a benefit for everybody, everybody in Albouystown.”

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali said the Albouystown beautification project is one of the major transformative initiatives taking place in the nation and is intended to improve the quality of life for the residents.

President Ali also noted that the initiative is a component of efforts being made by his government to reform every community in the nation to raise standards of living and enhance livelihoods.

The $1.4 billion beautification project was officially launched back in August and includes the upgrading of Cemetery Road to four lanes.