By Francis Quamina Farrier

GOING through my archives, I uncovered a feature article in the Sunday Guyana Chronicle of April 8, 1979, with the headline, “BAN THE ROAD HOGS” by Tangerine Clarke. It was her very first article in her 40-year (so far) career as a journalist. The sub-headline of that paramount article of hers reads, “School children in daily danger”. The first paragraph of that historic article which launched the illustrious journalism career of Tangerine Clarke begins: “Have you ever sat down to think how dangerous our roads are becoming for pedestrians and cyclists?” Professional though that question was for the reading public, it came directly from the grieving heart of the then very young Tangerine Clarke who had two immediate family members of hers, perish in road crashes.

Relating the direct way in which road fatalities literally came into her life at a young age, Tangerine said, “My father was killed while riding his motorcycle on Vlissengen Road on my mother’s birthday in May 1966, just two weeks before Independence. A year later, my grandmother also died the same way while riding her bicycle to work.” Some years later, Guyana’s celebrated drummer, Art Brooms, who is her uncle, was involved in a road accident which resulted in him being hospitalised. So, it is no surprise that the now veteran journalist had chosen “Road Hogs” as her first feature article 40 years ago.

Closer home, the ‘Chronicle Family’ also experienced traffic fatalities with at least two of its members losing their lives in road accidents. Former General Manager, Bob Grandsault lost his life while driving his car along the East Coast Demerara Public Road, heading from Georgetown to Berbice, which was a journey in his professional capacity. As such, it could be stated that he died on the job. The accident occurred when another vehicle which was speeding, ran his vehicle off the road at a (then) sharp bend on the Mahaica Public Road.

“Why are they so many road deaths today?”, was another question posed in that very first paragraph of Tangerine Clarke’s first feature article. Continuing, it stated, “The latest figure is 11 children killed out of a total of 65 deaths.” And that was just at the beginning of April of that year,1979. The article further informed readers, “That figure is much higher than last year’s, (1978) and we have to do something about these road hogs,” the young Tangerine demanded. But has her demand of 40 years ago been heeded by the relevant authorities? Although she is now based in New York, Tangerine visits the land of her birth regularly, and says that “The Traffic situation has become even worse over the years with the importation of thousands more vehicles.”

During the past 40 years, there may be over 7,000 Guyanese men, women and children killed on our roads. We are aware of that horrific crash on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway in which the two teenage daughters of then Prime Minister Desmond Hoyte lost their lives. Dozens more victims have died by crashes on that highway. The first casualty was an American who was killed even as the highway was in construction. A bulldozer ran over him in a freak accident; a tragedy which I happened to witness. Among the high number of children who have lost their lives due to road accidents was one particular case in which a student was killed while using a pedestrian crossing on the lower East Coast Demerara Public Road. That was a prime example of the “Road Hogs” mentioned by Tangerine and her demand that they are banned.

During the past two decades, minibus drivers have become notorious as the worst drivers on the roads of Guyana and are responsible for hundreds of road fatalities. This category of drivers is classified as “Road Hogs”, by Tangerine Clarke, who related some of her own personal experiences when travelling in minibuses in Guyana. She stated that there have even instances when she asked to be let off before the actual end of her journey.

In more recent years, women who have lost children due to road accidents, have banned themselves together in a group known as, “Mothers in Black”, and have been, like Tangerine was, 40 years ago, advocating for safer roads. Strong advocates for road safety, are a number of Guyana Road Safety Councils. Over the years the Police Traffic Division has also been doing its part, especially with Traffic Education. However, many members of the public, have been talking about individuals who “buy” their Driver’s Licenses and go on to become Road Hogs. That is certainly a serious problem which the Police need to address.

Some well-known citizens have also been killed on our roads during the past four decades. Mrs. Christobelle Hughes of the Guyana Heritage Society, who was the mother of Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes, was killed when the car in which she was a passenger while returning home from a family gathering was struck by a speeding vehicle which was driven by a drunken driver. Another woman of standing in the society, Chief Librarian Gillian Thompson, was also killed when a speeding vehicle broadsided the Library vehicle in which she was a passenger on her way to work, just two days before Christmas of 2011. Another woman of distinction who tragically lost her life in a road accident was Minister within the Ministry of Education, Dr. Desrey Fox. One of her sons was driving the car in which she was a passenger at the time, and which was rammed by a speeding vehicle on Vlissengen Road in Georgetown. Even the Police are not exempt from fatal traffic crashes. Former Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene, lost his life in a horrible two-vehicle crash which occurred on the West Coast Demerara Public Road and in which a young girl who was in the other vehicle, was also killed. Recently, the current Police Commissioner, Leslie James, was in a vehicle which was struck by another one on the East Bank Demerara Public Road. Fortunately, Commissioner James escaped unhurt. Some years ago, well-known Lawyer, Leslie Sobers, was in a minibus travelling from Georgetown to Lethem when it crashed in the North Rupununi, resulting in Sobers being severely injured, and having to use walking aids for a long time before regaining perfect use of his legs. A young child who was killed in that North Rupununi crash fell into the lap of Sobers where he died.

During her 40-year journey along ‘Highway Journalism’, Tangerine Clarke has travelled extensively over the years, meeting a wide range of individuals – the rich and famous; the powerful and the simple; the pleasant and the disagreeable – and written many in-depth stories for her diverse readers both here in Guyana and abroad. For the upcoming Oil and Gas “Rags to Riches” Republic of Guyana, her prime desires are, “That there be a transportation system friendly to the elderly and a fare structure to benefit students, among others.”

She also pointed out that the government must make sure that the revenue from the Oil and Gas, benefit all Guyanese. In all of that, she wants to see the roads of Guyana become safe as the relevant authorities establish a zero tolerance with reckless drivers and ban the Road Hogs.