Guyana considers light Rail and Tram System to ease Traffic

Guyana: In a significant move to tackle the rising traffic congestion across Georgetown, the government of Guyana is seriously considering of introducing a light rail and electric tram system in the country. The announcement was made by People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) general secretory and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during a weekly press conference.  

While no final decision has yet been made, Jagdeo has confirmed that talks are in place for the establishment of this new facility. He said that proposals for the project are being given significant attention under the People’s Progressive Party’s Civic administration’s wider transportation modernization plans.  

The major route under consideration for development is the one connecting Golden Grove on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) to Diamond on the East Bank Demerara (EBD). The corridor currently serves nearly 3,00,000 residents and is one of the critical routes for daily commuters.  

“You can do that, or you can develop parking outside the facility and use the rail to come in,” Jagdeo emphasized while highlighting the potential for creating a park and ride option to reduce urban vehicle congestion.  

An electric tram network in Central Georgetown is in talks which is aimed at easing intra-city travel and linking key areas to suburban transit stations.  

“If you connect the road from the rail and you have a station from Ogle, East Coast Demerara, and you jump on it, you can get into various points in the city without congestion,” Jagdeo explained. 

Although, the project remains in a planning phase, Jagdeo has highlighted that this project could help complement the government’s ongoing initiative to enhance road expansion and reduce traffic.  

He also warned the residents that the decrease on importation taxes could result in more vehicle imports, which could further impact even major road upgrades. However, the proposed road and tram system which remains in early stages of evaluation, will be Guyana’s major public Transportation upgrade that could significantly affect the country’s traffic management.