THERE have been loud calls for government to increase or enact regulations to bring order to some chaotic sections of society and improve safety conditions for citizens. Most recently, those suggestions have focused on the operations of public transportation systems.

While those proposals have merit, regulations and their stringent enforcement will not solve all the problems; citizens also have a major part to play. The fact is though, when one observes how most people behave as they go about their business, one wonders if they have any concern at all for their own safety and well-being.

It is important that Guyanese consider all sides of the issues, including the responsibilities of individuals. Government alone cannot ensure order if citizens do not cooperate. Therefore, the responsibility for making sure that discipline prevails rests with all persons, not just law-enforcement bodies. In fact, arguably, citizens may have the larger responsibility.

That fact can be readily demonstrated if we examine how people behave in well-regulated aspects of life. For example, on May 9, 2002, the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act was amended by the National Assembly, making the wearing of seatbelts mandatory. It is therefore an offence to not wear a seatbelt while in the front seat of a vehicle. However, we all know what happens: most persons do not wear seatbelts, instead, they put them on if they see police officers on the road, and remove them when the police can no longer see them.

If one were to question those people who break the law by not wearing seatbelts, they would readily admit that they not only know about the law, they also know that seatbelts can save their lives. Evidently, they are breaking the law even when doing so endangers their own safety.

Another example may be found on the water-taxis (speedboats). On virtually every trip, at least one passenger has to be forcefully admonished by the operators to put on a life-vest and strap it in place. Again, passengers are well aware that use of a life-vest is required by law. They also know that in the event of a mishap, that life-vest may be the only thing that may prevent them from drowning. Yet, contrary to the dictates of common sense, they just prefer not to wear the life-vest. How does one explain this strange, self-defeating behaviour, and how does one fix it, if it is at all fixable?

The law mandates lights be on bicycles at night, but, few people comply. Some cyclists even ride without brakes.

As for mini-buses, passengers are aware that overloading is against the law, but nevertheless, violate their own comfort and safety; most people “shift down” to accommodate an extra passenger without a squeak of protest, thereby facilitating lawlessness. Obviously, even when laws are in place for the protection of citizens, those same citizens assist in breaking them, usually to their own detriment. Therefore, the absence of laws or regulations is not the only problem; our society has deeper issues.
As Guyanese, we should examine ourselves; why do we behave the way we do? Perhaps, we need to change our habits, even our culture. Maybe, we need to transform the way we perceive the world, think, and behave. Certainly, we should increase our awareness of our own power, as individuals and groups, and come to the realisation that we exert pressure on each other to conform to certain norms, and, we should consciously ensure that those “norms” are of the law-abiding, positive types instead of the lawless, negative kind. As individuals, we all have people who care about us; we have loved ones whose lives will be impacted if we are injured, or worse. Perhaps, we need to think of them more often and internalise the fact that our welfare is our responsibility.