TRAFFIC Chief Linden Isles, on Wednesday, disclosed that several drivers are to appear in court shortly after being caught on cameras breaking the laws as well as some exposed by citizens on social media.

Isles made the disclosure while addressing a road safety forum at the Umana Yana on Wednesday afternoon. He said the drivers were captured by the CCTV cameras at various parts in the city and environs. The development is in addition to the use by the GPF of evidence posted on social media by concerned citizens of errant drivers who are bent on breaking the law.

Noting that the videos on social media are encouraging, he opined that if action is taken, it will eventually result in a reduction of accidents. He blamed the attitude of some persons who are always late but do not want to wait. Remarking that “every one death on our roads is one too many”, the traffic chief said officers of the traffic department have been continuously urging the safe use of the roadways. Alluding to statistics, Isles noted that in 2019, there were 108 fatal accidents in which 129 persons lost their lives, compared to 2018 when there were 105 accidents with 119 persons losing their lives. So far for this year there have been eight road fatalities.

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s forum was hosted by a six-member group of concerned citizens, who, having expressed concern about the reckless use of the country’s roadways, said they were buoyed by the positive feedback they received from members of the public.

Among the other participants in attendance were representatives of the University of Guyana Minibus Union, the United Minibus Union; male and female minibus drivers operating the Number 42 (Georgetown-Timehri) and Number 31 (Georgetown-West Demerara) routes and other concerned personnel.

The observance of a moment of silence for those who lost their lives on the roadways and a brief airing of clips of a number of serious vehicular accidents, some fatal, at the start of the forum, were cleverly used to jolt the emotions of the participants and set the tone for the frank expressions that followed.

The need for increased road safety education to benefit all categories of road users, training for motorists, in particular, minibus drivers, enforcement of road safety laws and a review of the existing ones, were among the recommendations.

Rawle Small, in an overview into the initiative by the group, noted that road accidents are caused by a combination of human factors and reminded the audience that driving is a privilege, not a right. He shared that in 2000, there were 329 vehicular accidents which, by the year 2013, had risen to 10, 635, representing an average growth of seven per cent. This he blamed on the large number of bicycles, pedestrians, and animal-drawn carts using the roads and the number of vehicles, including motor vehicles, that have increased from about 5, 336 in 2000 to 15,694 in 2013.

Small made reference to the community of Grove, East Bank of Demerara, where the roadway is narrow and in addition to a number of businesses dotting both sides, trucks, bicycles, animals and animal-drawn vehicles and pedestrians all compete for space. With drinking and driving by minibus drivers and conductors topping the list of the lawlessness taking place, one male speaker– a driver– blamed greed as one of the factors for some of the accidents. He suggested that there be continued presence of “honest” policemen at the minibus parks. Other participants called for the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Traffic Department to institute a quota system for the number of buses using specific routes; that there should be a review of the penalties, and the legislation be amended so that persons can be penalised without having the lengthy court process.