GOVERNMENT will be enacting additional laws and regulations to better resource the National Road Safety Council among a raft of measures to ensure safer roads.

Among the measures to come on board include a penalty points system for errant and recalcitrant drivers, seatbelt for occupants in rear seats of vehicles and introduction of speed and safety cameras.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson made these disclosures while addressing the opening session of a two-day Road Safety Workshop at the Marriot Hotel, Georgetown, on Wednesday.

The workshop, which concludes today, is a collaborative effort among the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the International Road Federation (IRF).

Minister Ferguson said Government will commence massive road rehabilitation works to enhance and incorporate safety mechanisms for all road users.
“This will contribute to positive changes in road user’s behaviour, thus causing a reduction in road fatalities…Guyana road fatality statistics is a frightening one especially for a country with such a small population,” the minister noted.

She said the Ministry has embarked on works to include proper road signage, road markings, and construction of sidewalks, installation of street and traffic lights, road maintenance and resurfacing, placement of speed humps and promotion of road safety through education, among others.

The minister said the culture of road users have to change and drivers need to be more responsibility to their passengers, themselves and pedestrians.

“In Guyana, we need to improve on our road safety culture, road users need to think safety first… Road safety cannot be achieved through isolation and therefore we must all collectively contribute to its enhancement,” the minister said.

MOST VULNERABLE
Traffic and Maintenance officer of the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Kester Hinds said most of the road fatalities occur on the East Coast of Demerara and the East Bank of Demerara and the vulnerable groups include the pedestrian and cyclists.

He explained that over the last 10 years, on average 129 persons died annually as a result of fatal accidents and the country loses over US$13M annually in human resources as a result of these deaths.

Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) Chairman, Romona Doorgen, stressed the need for more collaboration between stakeholders as road traffic crashes result in considerable economic cost to the country and world.

She explained that with much more Public Private Partnerships between all stakeholders in society, much more could be done to save the lives of people.
The GNRSC official said road traffic injuries place a heavy burden on national economies, as well as on households.

In low- and middle-income countries, they particularly affect the economically active age group, or those set to contribute to family, society and the workforce in general.

She explained that many families are driven deeper into poverty by the loss of a breadwinner, or by the expenses of prolonged medical care, or the added burden of caring for a family member who is disabled from a road traffic injury.

Underscoring that there is need for more safety on the roadways for all categories of road users, Doorgen said there is need for a special ambulance response unit dedicated, specifically to road crashes.

She noted that the first responders who are usually the traffic police should all be trained in post-crash response and certified in first aid training.

According to Doorgen, insufficient attention has been paid to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who together make up 49 per cent of all global road traffic deaths.

Making the world’s roads safer will not be possible unless the needs of these road users are considered in all approaches to road safety – including the way roads are built and the way vehicles are manufactured.

Making walking and cycling safer will also have other positive co-benefits if these non-motorised forms of transport become more popular, including more physical exercise, reduced emissions, and the health benefits associated with such changes.

IRF Director, Esteban Salinas said he is optimistic about the future developments of road safety in Guyana as the political will was present.