A new executive has been elected to the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) for the next two years.
Nigel Erskine, of the Ministry of Transport, was unanimously elected Chairman. Erskine, who has succeeded outgoing Chairman, Surendra Kayaam was Assistant Secretary/Treasurer of the outgoing Council and brings to the position a wealth of experience in road safety affairs.
The elections for the 19-member executive of the NRSC, for the period 2012/2014, were held at the Red Cross headquarters, Kingston last Wednesday.

Others elected to the Executive Council were:
* Vice Chairman  – Ms. Lucy Andersen
* Secretary           – Ms. Fameeza Singh
* Treasurer           – Mr. Colvern  Venture
* Assistant Secretary/Treasurer – Mr. Earl Lambert
* Co-ordinator – Ms. Ramona Doorgen

The Council also has five sub- committees for which leaders were also nominated at last Wednesday’s meeting.  Those sub-committees will be tasked with various responsibilities, executed by persons possessing the requisite skills and enthusiasm as would move the Association forward.  The following are the heads and the Sub-Committees they will lead:

* Road Environment – Eric Benjamin
* Law Enforcement –  Major General (Ret’d) Normal Mc Lean
* Special Events –  Mr. Hilbert Archer
* Education        –   Ms. Lucille Bacchus
* Finance – (Treasurer of the NRSC) Mr. Earl Venture

Coordinator, Ms. Ramona Doorgen, congratulated the new Council and briefly outlined their roles and responsibilities, stressing that the work of the National Road Safety Council is serious business and should be treated as such. She called on the new Council to give of their best and to take a proactive approach to dealing with the myriad problems that affect road safety in Guyana.
Meanwhile, newly installed Chairman, Nigel Erskine, thanked the other members for electing him to lead the Council, and congratulated those elected to positions of trust and responsibility.
Erskine invited recommendations on the way forward, as Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing ‘The Decade of Action for Road Safety (DOARS 2011-2020)”
The goal of the DOARS 2011-2020 is to stabilize and reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the world by increasing activities conducted at the national, regional and global levels.
Meanwhile, the final Annual General Meeting of the out-going Road Safety Council was held at Regency Suites February 29.
Also present at the elections was Professor Samuel Joseph of the Office of the Secretary General, Latin America and the Caribbean Road Danger Reduction Forum.
Professor Joseph, who is based in Trinidad and Tobago, has been closely associated with the National Road Council of Guyana for several years, and was also at the Annual General Meeting held at Regency Suites. He was amongst key resource persons facilitating workshops at the launch of the National Road Safety Volunteers Programme at the Liliendaal Conference Centre last August, and again in November, he joined the National Road Safety March, after which he addressed a rally and cultural programme at the Sea Wall at the junction of Rupert Craig Highway and Sheriff Street.