Better Hope road reserve businesses given 14 days to remove 

March 18 2025

Business owners and operators along the Better Hope, East Coast Demerara Public Road have been given 14 days to remove their immovable and movable structures from the roadside.

The Ministry of Public Works has issued a formal notice mandating the removal of all structures and activities occupying the road reserve at Better Hope.

The directive, issued on Monday March 16 2026, under the Roads Act, underscores that the road reserve forms part of the public road network and is the property of the Government of Guyana.

According to the Ministry, inspections uncovered a wide range of unauthorized uses along the roadside.

These include barber shops, roadside rum shops, bars, sawmills, scrap iron operations, workshops, car parks, cargo containers, builders’ waste, stockpiles of clay, sand and stone, mud dumping, tyre servicing operations, mobile vending carts, cement mixing areas, and various forms of signage.

Over time, the area has developed into a bustling hub of commercial activity, with food trucks, vendors, and small businesses operating along the corridor, effectively transforming it into a hotspot on the East Coast Demerara.

The Ministry warned that failure to comply with the removal order will result in the removal of the encroachments without further notice and that all associated costs to be recovered from those responsible.

Additionally, the Ministry noted that it reserves the right to pursue further penalties under the Roads Act and other applicable laws.

It was also made clear, that the ministry will not be held liable for any loss, damage, or destruction arising from the removal exercise, placing full responsibility on those who erected or maintained the unauthorized structures.

See official document here: