IN an effort to ease traffic congestion during those hours which are referred to as “peak hours,” the Guyana Police force has announced that it will implement a new strategy which will see motor lorries and container trucks being restricted to use the roadways in Georgetown, the East Bank of Demerara, East Coast Demerara, West Bank Demerara and West Coast Demerara between the hours of 07:00-09:00 , 11:00-13:00 and 15:00-17:00

Traffic Chief, Senior Superintendent Linden Isles, along with Traffic Officer Regional Division 4 ‘B’, Assistant Superintendent Jermaine Harper had on July 3 2020 met with owners and drivers of motor lorries/container trucks of the East Bank at the Soesdyke Junction where they put forward this new proposal. The traffic chief stated that further engagements would be made with companies and businesses that operate container trucks and motor lorries on a daily basis so as to apprise them of this new proposal.

These new systems to be undertaken by the Guyana Police Force follow Section 48 (1) of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act (MVRTA) Chapter 51:02. “The Commissioner of Police may, with the approval of the minister, make orders for any of the following purposes: the specification of the routes to be followed by motor or other vehicles; the prohibition or restriction of the use of specified roads by motor or other vehicles of any specified class or description, generally or during particular hours; the prohibition of the driving of vehicles on any specified road otherwise than in a specific direction; otherwise in relation to the regulation of traffic.
The traffic chief further said that one of the major causes of traffic congestion on our roadways is the increasingly high volume of vehicles that are being imported and registered every year.

Additionally, he also mentioned that the apparent inability of drivers to cope with overcrowded environment and overburdened infrastructure is indicative that our roadways are in a state of constant catastrophe and that the limitations of our roads force drivers to manoeuvre their vehicles of all classes, especially large motor lorries ,in an often dangerous manner to other road users.