THE president of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali, has announced that a feasibility study is now underway for a proposed light rail line along the East Bank and East Coast of the Demerara River in the capital, Georgetown.
The study, led by the Ministry of Housing and Water, was commissioned by Ali earlier this month and is scheduled for completion by the end of November. It aims to assess the technical, financial, and environmental feasibility of a light rail line, intended to ease traffic congestion and improve urban connectivity in one of the country’s most densely-populated regions.
“I’ve asked the Ministry of Housing to come up with a study within the next six weeks as to the cost for a light rail link,” Ali says. A high dam adjacent to the Buzz Bee Dam Highway on the East Bank of the Demerara has been identified as one of the potential alignments for the new line.
The project builds on a government commitment to modernise Guyana’s transport infrastructure. Campaigning ahead of the general election which returned Ali to power on September 1, vice-president, Bharrat Jagdeo, outlined plans for a light rail line connecting Golden Grove in East Coast with Diamond in East Bank. The administration has moved quickly to advance this initiative from a campaign pledge to the early planning stage.
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