— charges GPF to address gamut of traffic issues
Georgetown, Guyana (November 21, 2024) His Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali charged the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to immediately put measures in place to address a gamut of issues, including speeding trucks, reckless drivers and illegal lights on private vehicles in a bid to create safer roadways.
The Head of State called on the leadership of the GPF to do all that they can to create safer environments for road users during a meeting with the top brass of the Guyana Police Force at State House today.
After the meeting, the President, accompanied by senior members of the force, including Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken, Deputy Police Commissioner Ravindradat Budhram, and Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh, held a televised recording, where he discussed measures to be implemented.
High on the agenda is the recent increase in accidents on the roadways, especially as it relates to speeding trucks and driving under the influence of alcohol.
He charged the GPF to use the camera infrastructure on the new highways to prosecute errant drivers and to curb the illegal use of sirens and lights by private citizens.
“It is my belief that the Commissioner of Police must ensure that the Traffic Chief and his ranks are implementing, at its fullest, the laws governing the sane and proper use of our roadways… We cannot continue to have this type of indiscipline on our roadways, especially with the trucks and truck drivers.”
The President explained that the laws currently provide for the suspension of licences for specific traffic infractions and that they will be fully implemented.
“Drivers on the whole, but especially those truck drivers, public transportation drivers, I am asking you, not to do anything special—all I am asking you to do in the interest of saving lives, is to comply with the law, comply with the rules.”
This, he said, was also necessary for persons not at the wheel, especially in the case of bar owners, who are responsible for ensuring that their patrons do not drive drunk. He has also called on the Guyana Police Force to ensure that the law is enforced and that all bars carry respective signage to remind patrons.
In reference to speeding, the President said that the Guyana Police Force will move to publish the names of drivers who are caught driving above the speed limit more than three times and move to have repeated offenders’ licences suspended.
“We have to take these actions to save you. We have to take these actions to save you from yourself. I am pleading with drivers to comply with the laws.”
So far, 893 tickets have been issued through the use of the cameras set up on the highways.
Lastly, the President added that the final issue is the illegal use of emergency lights and sirens on private vehicles.
“If you have sirens and emergency lights illegally on your vehicle, I am asking you to remove them immediately.”
The President said he has tasked the Attorney General to amend the laws to find and suspend the licences of drivers who are caught using illegal sirens and lights.
“We are seeing tremendous abuse. I’ve also asked the police to move immediately on all those shops, centres who are selling these illegal lights and sirens, all those who are installing these to be examined.”
The Head of State emphasised that these matters are important to him, his Government, the police, and more importantly, the people of the country.
“We have to stop this nonsense on our roadways and we can only do so if we do it collectively as a people.”
President Ali added that he has requested that body cameras be procured for GPF traffic ranks to execute their duties.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Honourable Anil Nandlall was also part of the meeting.
