MOU to govern use of interior roads -should ease miners/loggers conflict

http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=56531685

MOU to govern use of interior roads
-should ease miners/loggers conflict
Stabroek News, Wednesday, October 24th 2007

A Memorandum of Under-standing (MOU) that governs the use of hinterland
roads was launched yesterday and the framers hope this will settle
conflicts now arising with the use of roads built by loggers.

This MOU is generic and is formatted to allow the names of the builders
and the users of the road to be inserted.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds told the media at a press conference
yesterday that the MOU sets the stage for access to hinterland roads
which are costly to build and to maintain.

On average, Hinds explained, it costs US$30,000 to US$40,000 or $6M-$8M
to surface one mile of road with loam or other materials and another
$1M per year per mile to maintain the road.

These roads, it was said, deteriorate easily, particularly in the rainy
season, but they are essential for the development of the hinterland,
and for the increasing number of coastal residents moving there, as
well as for the nation's tourism.

This MOU seeks to regulate the relationship between builders and users
of the roads, since there is need for collaboration among those who
work in the hinterland so the cost of the infrastructure can be spread,
Hinds said.

Involved in the framing of the MOU were the Guyana Geology and Mines
Commission, the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Lands and Surveys
Commission along with the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics and the
Ministry of Agriculture.

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who was also at the press
conference, noted that the document took some time to formulate and was
on the table since 1994, when the focus was on a coordinated approach
on infrastructure. During that period there was a low level of
conflict, he said, but by 2000 road users increased and more serious
conflicts developed. This was followed by formal written complaints in
2003 through the Prime Minister's office and a number of meetings were
convened, he said, but these were not very helpful in reaching a final
resolution.

But last year a first draft was formulated and this was refined and
later submitted to Cabinet through a memo by Persaud, which was then
referred to a Cabinet sub-committee and was later endorsed by Cabinet.

This generic document, the minister said, allows for specific
agreements between parties and for the payment of tolls. It will give
assurances that only legitimate commercial users can use the road,
while residents can use the roads for subsistence activities without
paying tolls. The tolls to be paid will be regulated by the Transport
and Hydraulics Ministry and will be paid to the builders of the roads.
This will be done after a permit is issued to the builders detailing
that the tolls can be collected and from whom, as well as the approved
general usage of the roads.

Tolls collected are expected to go towards maintenance of the roads.

In Appendix B of the MOU, a description of the road maintenance
activities was set out. These include the removal of soil, vegetation
and other materials that would obstruct water flow to be cleared from
ditches; turnout drains, culverts and bridges to be kept clear and in
good working condition at all times; road surface maintenance to be
performed as needed; and cross-fall and road shape to be maintained to
allow effective drainage.

This section of the MOU also states that surfacing gravel or loam
should be pushed to the road edge or into drains; bridge decking,
foundations and side walls to be checked regularly; any debris that has
been pushed into the water-course shall be removed; water should flow
freely under bridges; silt traps should be cleaned regularly and
construction/upgrading should take place in the dry season only.

Hinds said that there was wide consultation beginning in 1994 towards
an MOU. He said this after he was asked to comment on the Miners
Association saying they were not consulted.

Detailed in the MOU are terms and conditions of usage of the roads such
as the weight allowed to cross bridges, users' risk, rules for using
the road and substances not allowed on the roads such as the selling of
illegal drugs, firearms and the bartering, borrowing or lending of
chattel from or to the road building workers