HGP Nightly News – Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed is calling for an urgent safety inspection of five pedestrian overpasses along the East Bank Demerara corridor after alleging that exposed electrical wires, failed lighting and broken access systems are placing users, including schoolchildren, at risk.
Mohamed said he inspected all five structures, visiting some at night and the remainder the following morning.
According to him, only two had functioning lights after dark, while several showed visible signs of deterioration and inadequate maintenance.
At one overpass near two schools, Mohamed drew attention to what he described as exposed high-voltage wiring situated within easy reach of pedestrians.
He warned that the wires appeared dangerously close to metal components of the structure, creating a possible electrocution hazard if they became energised or made contact.
“Children are curious,” Mohamed said, calling for the area to be secured immediately. “We do not want to lose lives like that.”
The alleged hazard has not been independently inspected or verified. The relevant authorities had not publicly responded to Mohamed’s claims based on the information provided.
Mohamed urged Public Works Minister Juan Edghill and the other agencies responsible for electricity and maintenance to dispatch a technical team to examine the structures.
He also raised concerns about accessibility, alleging that elevators and other systems intended to assist persons with disabilities were not functioning at some locations.
Without operational lifts or suitable ramps, he said, wheelchair users and people with limited mobility may be unable to use the overpasses safely.
The Opposition Leader claimed the five structures cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and were constructed under the former APNU+AFC administration.
He argued that the change of government should not have resulted in their neglect.
“This money does not belong to APNU or the PPP,” Mohamed said. “It belongs to the people of Guyana.”
He maintained that governments should preserve useful infrastructure inherited from their predecessors instead of allowing it to deteriorate because it was built under another administration.
Mohamed also criticised the cleanliness of the overpasses and questioned when they had last received comprehensive maintenance.
He further accused the government of paying greater attention to electronic billboards and political messaging along the corridor than to the condition of the structures supporting them.
That political allegation was not accompanied by evidence showing that maintenance funding had been redirected to advertising.
Mohamed called for an immediate inspection of the wiring, lighting, lifts, stairs, protective barriers and general structural condition of all five overpasses.
The findings, he said, should be followed by repairs and a regular maintenance programme before deteriorating conditions result in a serious injury or death.
