THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) issued a statement over the weekend about a clamped state-owned vehicle assigned to former President Donald Ramotar. It said the wheel was clamped by a team from Smart City Solutions, accompanied by armed ranks of the City Constabulary who were aggressive and verbally abusive to Ramotar’s security guards. Given the nature surrounding the incident, the PPP/C, according to its statement, concluded that from all appearances, the act was planned and designed to embarrass the former president, who was at the time attending a meeting at the party’s Robb Street head office.
With our polarised politics, it is tempting and oftentimes successful to deviate from the real issues by playing to fears, dislike for, or non-support of the other, or other frivolous perceptions. When politicians and opinion shapers skilfully apply these ploys to project a particular perception in furtherance of a self-serving agenda, the society is hurt by it.
The PPP/C is being commended for attaching the picture of the vehicle in its clamped state. The saying that a picture tells a thousand words still holds true. Thankfully, the party shared that picture, which was carried by the media and can be found on its facebook page, which allows for objective thinking.
From the picture, it is clear that the vehicle was parked in a no-parking or loading zone and the road markings (yellow lines) were visible for all to see, including the driver. Parking spaces are typically done in white, with an opening to symbolize that a vehicle is permitted to park, but the yellow lines where there is no opening symbolises no parking. That person who parked the vehicle was in violation of the traffic laws, acted out of arrogance, and with no regard for other road users,who at the time could have been endangered.
The PPP/C and Ramotar should not be proud of, or promote what was clearly a traffic violation. While the Guyana Police Force’s statistical report for crime in 2016 showed a decrease compared to 2015, the crime that has shown an increase are road accidents. Guyana continues to lose its most vital resource, its people, through senseless and avoidable road accidents. The Laws of Guyana never stated, implicitly or explicitly, that anyone is exempted from obeying them. Similarly, the laws did not say that those who disobey the traffic laws should not be charged. Hopefully, the city constabulary did its job and took the necessary action to ensure the process was put in place to charge the driver and bring him before the court.
Every Guyanese, bar none, has to demonstrate good use of our roads. The road is a public service, shared by different users, and safe and proper use of it requires everyone obeying the rules of the road. Whereas the PPP/C may find it politically convenient to seek partisan political mileage of what is clearly- from the picture — a traffic violation and hazard, it must accept that there is a right and wrong way for using the roads. If that vehicle was being driven by a member of the Guyana Police Force, the driver should be invited by his head of department to discuss this blatant disregard for the organization with which he or she is employed. Why this is even more so important, is that this organisation has responsibility for enforcing the traffic laws and continues to bemoan the irresponsible use of our roads. Further, given that this is a state-owned vehicle, government has to be mindful that it has to set the example for others to follow. This is not the first time that persons doing business at Freedom House had parked their vehicles in a clear display of disregard for the traffic laws. There was a similar incident last year, which this newspaper in its 27th January, 2016 editorial, “The Robb Street Traffic Violation,” had addressed. Good sense must prevail and obedience to the traffic laws must be seen as a duty by everyone using public thoroughfares. The road in front of Freedom House, on Robb Street, is a public thoroughfare. Lives are precious, so let us treat everybody’s life as such and use the roads in a manner that is consistent with the laws. Only in this manner can we truly save lives, prevent the destruction of properties, and aid in the reduction of road accidents, injuries and fatalities.