Proposed hike in DHB tolls under consideration

THE Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) has said that no decision has been made to hike tolls for the Demerara Harbour Bridge, but rather a proposal has been submitted to Cabinet for review.

In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure said that despite media reports, there has been no increase in the tolls for the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB). The ministry referenced a June 8, 2016 edition of the Guyana Chronicle, under the headline “Cabinet clears new tolls for DHB,” which indicated that a decision was taken by Cabinet to increase tolls from $20 to $40 for motorcyclists and from $100 for $200 for motorcars. The tolls for buses and SUVs remain unchanged, the article said.

However, the MoPI clarified that while the proposal to increase the tolls is indeed up for Cabinet consideration, approval has not been granted.

“Rather, the memorandum, submitted by Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, was deferred. Minister Patterson is currently out of the country but is being represented by Minister within the Ministry, Annette Ferguson, who has confirmed the deferral of the memorandum and has indicated that the proposal is still being ironed out. Furthermore, the management of the DHB is unaware of any newly implemented tolls. MPI wishes to emphasise that the ministry and the DHB company will relay any official increase in tolls for the bridge.”