PARAMARIBO – Moped riders, cyclists and pedestrians who regularly cross the Saron Bridge recently sounded the alarm over the ongoing closure of the moped path.

The moped path has reportedly been closed since March 24th after several people had a nasty fall on the bridge due to the fact that the plates had come loose. A growing number of people are currently complaining that the closure is taking too long and that it is not clear when the moped path will be accessible again. The closure is causing other safety risks because moped riders, cyclists and pedestrians have no other choice than to use the section of the bridge that is intended for vehicles such as trucks, cars and buses. “I pray every time I have to cross the bridge. Cars often drive at high speed and there is hardly any room to ride safely between vehicles. As a moped rider or cyclist you feel extremely vulnerable”, said a moped rider. Pedestrians also expressed concern for their safety as they feel for their life each time they have to walk right next to cars that keep passing them by. Senior citizens and people with small children explained that they feel exposed whenever they cross the bridge on foot. The moped riders, cyclists and pedestrians want officials to place traffic signs with speed limits on both sides of the bridge to slow down traffic. They hope that the moped path will be repaired soon so that they could once again cross the bridge safely.