Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced today that government will be meeting with the Mayor and Town Council of Linden, to hammer out issues relating to the removal of tolls from the Mc Kenzie/Wismar Bridge in the town.

Last weekend, the President announced that from the 1^st August, tolls will no longer be attached to the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge, the Demerara Harbour Bridge and the Berbice Bridge.

However, the Linden Town Council said while it is not opposed to the crossing in Linden being made free, the Government has not indicated how it will address the revenue shortfall that the town will face. The Council said there were no consultations on the decision.

At a press conference today, the Vice President confirmed that a meeting will be take place with the Council on the issue.

“We will meet with the Town Council in Linden, we will meet with them to discuss this matter, because we don’t want them to claim that the limited service that they provide to people, blame the government again for that, so that is why we will meet with them to make sure that they don’t distort what is going on,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

Mr. Jagdeo did not say whether the Government will increase the subventions for the Town Council. However, he said the toll removal is a done deal.

“Let me tell you that the President has already announced that all the people of the country will benefit from this, people in Berbice, Region 3 and 10 and anyone else who use the bridge, we are don’t have different policies,” the Vice President declared.

Linden Mayor Sharma Solomon has noted that the tolls, which generate approximately $6 million per month in revenue for the Council, have been a critical source of revenue for the town, contributing to its annual budget.

The Mayor also expressed concerns regarding the new McKenzie/Wismar Bridge, which is expected to be completed within the next two years. He noted that the Council has not yet been consulted by the government about its responsibilities for the bridge’s maintenance and management once it is operational.

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