THE Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General (AG), Anil Nandlall, SC, announced on Tuesday that the government is planning to implement regulatory frameworks to address the alarming increase in road fatalities and incidents involving electric bikes.

During his online show, “Issues in the News,” the Attorney General said that citizens and other bodies, especially from the Private Sector, have complained about how people are using electric bikes.

“People across the country are using these electric cycles, and we have received complaints far and wide that these electric cycles are being used in a manner dangerous to the public. They present a travel traffic hazard, and the persons who are riding these cycles are not equipped with helmets or any other protective gear… it is a dangerous situation,” the Legal Affairs Minister noted.

He continued: “We have received these complaints from the private sector. We have received this complaint from members of the public users of the road have complained. If you look at a social media platform, you will see commentaries and commentaries about this conduct.”

To tackle this issue, Nandlall said that the government is currently developing regulatory frameworks to ensure the safe operation of electric bikes on public roads.

The amendments to traffic laws and regulations are already in draft form and will be promulgated and enforced once approved by the government.

The government, he said, is committed to ensuring the safety of all road users and is taking this issue seriously.

It is worth noting that the country already has a traffic accident problem and a high incidence of road carnage. Therefore, the government’s efforts to regulate the use of electric bikes are a welcome move in the right direction.

The government has already passed legislation to address drunk driving and the sale of alcohol to drivers and is willing to make further changes to ensure road safety.

Nandlall said that the government has already passed legislation to deal with drunk driving and the way people are operators of bars or the bars are to conduct themselves, vis-a-vis selling liquor to drivers or potential drivers.

He added that the government’s intention to introduce regulatory frameworks to promote the safer use of electric bikes is commendable.

“We already have a traffic accident problem in this country. We already have a high incidence of road carnage. The need has arisen for us to make another change, and we are prepared to do so,” he said.

Earlier this year, Ramona Doorgen, Coordinator of the Guyana National Road Safety Council, disclosed in an interview with this newspaper that a major part of the currently drafted rules includes barring children under the age of 16 from operating electric bikes.

These bikes retail for between $70,000 to $150,000 and cost considerably less than conventional motorcycles. Due to the ease with which they can be operated, they have become the go-to mode of transportation for many, with most having speeds below 50 kmph.

Doorgen welcomed the decision by the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to help draft rules to govern the use of these bikes to regulate the use of these vehicles due to the notable misuse by operators across the country.

In February, 17-year-old Bibi Sophia Mohammed of Non-Pareil Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was killed, while her sister was hospitalized, following an electric bike accident along the Coldingen Public Road, ECD.

According to reports, the two sisters were on the electric bike when they were struck by a truck. The electric bike was being ridden by 16-year-old Maria Mohammed, while the now-deceased teen was the passenger. Neither was wearing protective gear.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that a further review of more measures to promote road safety is currently being undertaken.

In a detailed press release, the ministry, in February, said that for the period January 1 to February 18, 2023, 16 persons were killed when compared with eight persons for 2022.

“The 2023 results show a 100 per cent increase when compared with 2022. What is very notable is that pedestrian fatalities increased by 25 per cent when compared to the same period last year. Whereas approximately 44 per cent of motorcyclists were killed during the same period compared to last year,” the release said.

Comparative data had shown that as of February 18, 2023, 16 persons have been killed on the roads due to 14 accidents, compared with the same period in 2022 when eight persons died from seven accidents.