AS Guyanese continue full steam ahead with their usual Christmas-season shopping, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Monday disclosed plans for a heightened presence in an effort to minimise robberies and accidents during this hectic period.

While ranks will be strategically placed around the city, special arrangements will be in place for traffic management in Georgetown and other parts of the country.

According to Traffic Chief, Superintendent Ramesh Ashram , from November 15, 2021 to January 15, 2022, traffic patrols will be deployed on a 24-hour basis to ensure a free flow of traffic and to reduce road accidents.

He noted that traffic ranks will be conducting patrols using motor cycles, cars and crash trucks. There will also be foot patrols for a 12-hour period, during which there will be a four-hour shift system.

Further, he stated that there will be the deployment of day and night patrols from Traffic Headquarters to the different regions.
As part of the force’s efforts to minimise congestion, Superintendent Ashram said that several special arrangements will be implemented. These include no-entry to vehicles for some sections of Robb and Bourda Streets.

Superintendent Ashram stated that on Robb Street there will be no entry for vehicular traffic going east between Alexander and Albert Streets, while on Bourda Street there will be no entry for vehicles between Regent and North Road.

He further disclosed that special emphasis will be placed on arrivals and departures at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and Eugene F. Correia International Airport.

Additionally, in keeping with the force’s aim of reducing traffic congestion, motor lorries traversing the East Bank corridor will continue to be restricted between 07:00hrs to 09:00hrs from Monday to Friday.

The two-lane traffic traversing the Demerara Harbour Bridge from 06:15hrs and 16:00hrs is expected to continue.
The Traffic Department will collaborate with bridge officials to activate two lanes when necessary to ease congestion on the East Bank or West Bank Demerara.

The department has also proposed that container trucks operate within Georgetown between 22:00hrs to 05:00hrs daily. Once approved, business owners will be advised to offload containers at the terminals and transport the goods using lorries (canters) to their places of business.