– Prime Minister appeals for extra care by road users

By Rabindra Rooplall
THE Guyana Police Force Wednesday launched a major campaign to curb the high incidence of road accidents which have claimed 96 lives for the year.“We are going to have an increase in traffic patrols by day and night, we will have the reintroduction of spotting exercises, we will have an increased deployment in black spots (the cluster where there are fatal accidents), we will have random breathalyzer testing,” Police Commissioner (ag) David Ramnarine announced at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.
Ramnarine said “Operation Safeway” will restore much needed road safety consciousness with the ultimate goal of minimising the number of accidents.
On Tuesday, a meeting was held with Divisional Commanders, the Traffic Chief and Divisional Traffic Heads to outline the steps which would be taken during the operation, including more frequent use of radar guns to target speeding drivers.
In a statement, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo said that the issue of increased road fatalities was raised at both this week’s National Security Committee and Cabinet meetings. As a result, he said an “urgent decision was taken” to launch Operation Safeway.

“Every Guyanese needs to arrive home alive. We all need to slow down. There is no place for drunkards behind the wheel. I support sanctions against persons charged with serious traffic offences, especially when they cause injury or death while under the influence of alcohol.” – Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

“Every Guyanese needs to arrive home alive. We all need to slow down. There is no place for drunkards behind the wheel. I support sanctions against persons charged with serious traffic offences, especially when they cause injury or death while under the influence of alcohol, the” Prime Minister said
Mr Nagamootoo took particular note of the deaths of five Guyanese as a result of tragic accidents on the roadways in recent days: Abeka Trotman, 4, was killed on Sherriff Street while siblings Tina Halley, 7, and 10-month-old Marvin Halley lost their lives at Blakenburg on the West Coast of Demerara on Tuesday morning; Ramesh Rampat, 23 and Richard Ramnarine, 45, also lost their lives in a fatal Corentyne, Berbice accident at the weekend.
“I feel a deep sense of sadness and hurt at the continued needless loss of lives on our roads. The deaths of three children is particularly heart-rending,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo said.
“As a father and a grandfather I share the loss, the pain and the grief of all those loved ones who have perished on our roads,” he added.
Mr Nagamootoo said that “President David Granger and I along with the entire Cabinet appeal to drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and all road users to exercise extra care and attentiveness while using our roads.”

The number of road deaths so far this year represents a 10% increase over the same period last year.
The Police Commissioner said that the Force has noticed “a very high degree of callousness regarding the attitudes towards other road users, in particular pedestrians.”
He said there was a decline in the application of the five “Cs”” that are well publicised, but are seemingly becoming something of the past.
“This is not being rude or disrespectful to anyone, but commonsense is becoming so rare that many people wish they could purchase it in a shop.
“This is the reality of the situation; your commonsense which is linked to your conscience is a natural sense of what is right and wrong, just and unjust, moral and immoral, it’s the voice that speaks to you from within, but do we listen to that voice? ” Mr Ramnraine questioned.
He said that the high incidence of fatal accidents is unacceptable not only to the force , but also to key stakeholders in Guyana.
Of the number of fatal accidents, 14 were caused by drunk drivers while another 50 resulted from speeding. In 43 of the accidents, the drivers were charged and an inquest was recommended for 22 of the cases; 15 cases are awaiting legal advice.
Mr Ramnarine stated that 70% of the drivers involved in these accidents were between the ages of 18-33, and that most of the accidents (71%) involved private motorcars.
“If we don’t harness this situation that is developing, the prognosis is we are likely to have 120 accidents at the end of 2016 with 132 deaths, which is something we really can’t accept,” the Top Cop said. “We cannot sit and allow this to happen; we are a small developing country with a small population.”
“The carnage on our roads leaves so many persons in pain and agony. Mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands and other relatives, friends, neighbours, classmates and work colleagues are all emotionally distressed by the needless loss of life,” the Prime Minister stated.
Ramnarine said of recent, most accidents have been occurring between Friday midday to Monday mornings.
He warned drivers that there will be rigid enforcement of the law and urged that they make use of the abundance of educational materials on safe driving.
With the new campaign, Mr Ramnraine also had a warning for those who will be involved in Operation Safeway: “We don’t want traffic ranks and anti-crime ranks to be involved in unprofessional conduct with the travelling public, since only if an offence is committed then a rank should intervene.