Works Minister Rohan Sinanan says extensive road paving is set to begin after Budget Day on October 7.
Speaking to the media after opening a bridge at Todds Road, off Mission Road, Freeport, on Saturday, Sinanan said the multi-million dollar programme will bring relief to thousands of motorists.
Sinanan said many infrastructural projects which started more than two years ago were nearing completion and will be opened and commissioned over the next few months. The bridge at Todds Road cost the Government $4.3 million and Sinanan said he was happy that the commuters who suffered for the past nine years will finally get some relief.
With regard to the implementation of the new licence plate system, Sinanan said this was currently under evaluation.
He explained that all new vehicles will soon be outfitted with radio frequency identification marker (RFID) for additional security.
Saying this will make for easier tracking by the police, Sinanan added that the logistics of the new plates are still being worked out and that a vehicle owner may have the option of transferring his RFID plates when he or she changes a vehicle.
"We have used a procurement agency for that project. They are doing the evaluation. Right now it is at the evaluation stage and very soon we will have a recommendation which will then be taken to Cabinet. The bill was laid in Parliament on Wednesday and once the bill is debated and passed we will have the new licence plate system maybe by the end of the year," Sinanan said.
He noted that citizens can look forward to the opening of several more bridges and roads in the near future.
Meanwhile, Pundit Gajahan Kumar of the Lakshmi Narine mandir said he was thankful that the road and bridge were finally completed. Kumar said the mandir attracted hundreds of people and for years they suffered horrendous traffic jams because of the single-lane traffic. After the road caved in 2010 a bailey bridge had been set up but the road continued to deteriorate. Kumar said they now enjoyed a free flow of traffic.