THE Ministry of Public Infrastructure, in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will be sensitising owners and operators of heavy-duty machinery about the damage they sometimes cause to public roads, and the dangers posed to life and limb when they leave their equipment unattended on the roadways.
In a release on Friday, the ministry said that a delegation met with Police Commissioner Leslie James and Traffic Officer, Senior Superintendent Linden Isles last Tuesday to discuss a plan of action to address the matter.
The meeting was as a result of several failed attempts over the years to curb the situation involving operators with heavy-duty machinery. Among representatives of the MoPI at the meeting were Messrs Patrick Thompson, Chief Transport Planning Officer; Kester Hinds, Traffic/Safety/Maintenance Manager; Andrew Weekes, Public Communications Officer; and Dr. Sewnauth Punalall, Coordinator of the National Taskforce Commission.
On the advice of Commissioner James that while the Force can arrest and prosecute those who fail to adhere to Chapter 51:01 of the Road Act of the Laws of Guyana, careful consideration should be taken in addressing the matter, a public relations campaign will be in effect from March 8 to September 9, 2019 to educate farmers and owners of heavy-duty machinery about the lethal dangers of leaving their equipment on the roadways during the day and nights.
The campaign will make use of both the print and electronic media in the dissemination of Public Service Announcements (PSAs).
Sensitisation meetings will also be conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), the Farmers Association of Guyana, and the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA), while Town Hall-type meetings will be held in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five(Mahaica-Berbice)and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
“Permission has been granted by Commissioner James for MoPI to meet with commanders of the divisions within the aforementioned regions to educate them about the dangers to life and limb and the need for their support to discourage farmers and owners of heavy-duty machinery from damaging public roads,” the release said.
It was also decided that importers of heavy-duty machinery must provide their clients with toolkits so as to allow them to attach safety mechanisms such as tyres to the wheels of their machines to prevent them from damging the roads.
The ministry said that by the end of the campaign, those operators found culpable will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law according to Chapter 51:01 of the Road Act law.
“This timeline will not overlook farmers and owners of heavy-duty machinery who are found blatantly destroying public roads with their heavy-duty equipment between the periods,” the MoPI said in its release.
