THE Ministry of Public Security has announced the relaxation of the 2am curfew on the operations of bars, night clubs and other entertainment spots to facilitate heightened patron activity during the Christmas season from yesterday until January 1, 2016. The move, according to a Public Security Ministry press release comes after many requests from the general public and business community. The decision to relax the curfew was taken in conjunction with the Guyana Police Force.
“It is a time for celebration and knowing the Guyanese spirit the minister has seen the need for this relaxation,” the release said.
The curfew was enforced by order of Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan just after the David Granger administration came into office in May this year. The decision was widely questioned by patrons and bar owners but they eventually accepted its enforcement by the police.
The Ministry of Public Security had urged full public support for its initiative to enforce the closing of night clubs and other places of entertainment at 2 am, saying it was being done in the interest of citizens’ security.
At the inception it was reported that the women rights groups had indicated that they wanted to see drinking at that late hour stopped. The minister had also pointed out that those drinking around that time were also doing pretty heavy binges, “spending monies that could have normally been spent more wisely”.
He noted then that this sort of behaviour had a direct effect on the number of traffic offences being committed as well as the work ethic when persons drink too late.
Minister Ramjattan has given no intention to completely end the curfew, which comes back into full force on January 2, 2016.
The Ministry, according to the release, expressed kind wishes for the holiday season and urged all persons “to be particularly safety-conscious during this busy season, especially on the roadways”.