LMTC unable to get local construction company to remove heavy duty vehicles from Mackenzie/Wismar bridge

-Road users complain of limited vision, unsightliness

By Abiola Archer

The Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) is at loggerheads with the owners of O&O Construction and OLT Waste Solution Enterprise concerning the illegal parking of several heavy duty vehicles in the vicinity of the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge. Road Users have expressed concern that the parked vehicles are obstructing their visibility as they approach the bridge, which can be deemed dangerous, particularly at nights. Persons have also expressed concern that the vehicles are not only hazardous but takes away from the attractiveness of the surrounding which has landmarks and monuments. The vehicles have been parked there for months and residents have called on the LM&TC to use its powers to govern the municipality, to have them removed forthwith.

At the LM&TC ‘s most recent statuary meeting, is was disclosed that strides were made to have the owners move the vehicles but all efforts have been futile.

According to Town Clerk Orleena Obermuller, a letter was sent to Oslen Adams, one of the Directors of the companies, requesting that the vehicles be removed,  however, the situation remains the same. Another letter was sent to the Commander and the Deputy Commander of Region 10 Division of Police to intervene in the matter. A correspondence was also sent to the Environmental Protection Agency on the matter.  Arrindell explained that EPA was consulted because oil leakage into the soil was discovered several times. Arrindell said, she did speak to Mr. Adams about the removal of the vehicles and he explained that his company requested a plot of commercial land from the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC), but same has not been approved to date.

In an invited commented, Director of the Company, Lincoln Zephyr, said the company has legal occupancy of the buildings in the vicinity where the vehicles are parked, hence with the company acquiring a larger fleet of vehicles, there was need to park in the surrounding area while the company awaits the approval of the land from GLSC. Zephyr said he is cognisant of the issues surrounding the vehicles parked there and would have engaged LM&TC on deriving at an amicable solution. He said the situation with limited commercial land in Linden, amidst calls for investors to establish their business in the township, creates an environment that suppresses investment rather than to encourage it. This also include the long waiting period for approvals and for governing agencies such as LM&TC to make decisions without making the necessary representation or suggestion when a crisis confronts an investor. He said his company is a contractor of LM&TC and has made efforts to deal with the situation respectfully but all that was received in return was blunt requests to move, without considering that moving will affect the operations of the business, which will affect the livelihood of scores of its employees. In the short term, Zephyr said the company will relocate some of the vehicles so as to return some amount of visibility to road users.