President Ali instructs police to take urgent action

A TROUBLING report released on Friday by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has revealed that a staggering 92 road accidents have occurred from January to August this year, resulting in 110 fatalities including three children.

Against the backdrop of a concerning surge in road accidents and fatalities, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has taken decisive action by instructing the police to launch an expansive road safety campaign nationwide.

The President recently expressed his unwavering commitment to tackling the root causes of the problem, emphasising that drinking and driving, as well as excessive speeding, must be urgently addressed.

He urged citizens to view road safety as a shared responsibility and called for a united front in curbing the alarming increase in road accidents.

The President disclosed that he has requested specific statistics on early morning accidents, among other data, to inform the development and implementation of more effective safety measures. The need for visible road markings and other visual aids to enhance safety were also highlighted as part of the comprehensive road safety campaign.

The urgency of these actions is underscored by two recent accidents which resulted in the death of four teenagers and a baby.

The driver of the car the teenagers were in was reportedly speeding when he collided with a parked truck and a concrete fence at Canal #2 Polder, West Bank Demerara (WBD), Region Three.

The victims of this devastating accident were identified as the driver, 17-year-old Daveanand Singh, 19-year-old Amiesha Jaikaran, 18-year-old Divyanie Narine and 19-year-old Daniel Tirbeni.

Earlier this week10-month-old Zainad Boyer died in an accident at Dennis Street, Sophia, Georgetown. The infant’s father was reportedly speeding when he collided with another car.
In July 2023, a “Respect the Road” Road Safety Awareness Campaign was launched by the GPF in collaboration with the Government of Guyana and Impressions to address the rising number of road fatalities.

During the campaign launch, the acting Commissioner of Police revealed that over 4,000 traffic tickets had been issued in 2023, and more than 2,000 individuals had been charged with traffic offences.

Additionally, a new regulatory framework for the use of electric bikes was recently passed by the National Assembly. It will address the alarming increase in road fatalities and incidents involving electric bikes.

Based on data from the police force, 11 persons were killed, and 14 others suffered significant injuries due to the use of electric cycles from 2021 to 2023.

Recently, Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, said that the police force has been tasked with producing an updated traffic plan and implementing more aggressive measures to maintain safety on Guyana’s roadways.

He said that the government is very concerned about the rise in deaths caused by road accidents.

“We are concerned about inconsistencies, aberrations in the way people behave. We have been requiring, demanding more to be done in respect of speeding, drunk driving, impaired driving, whether it’s drugs or cellphone use,” he related.

Minister Benn said that one stark statistic is the number of motorcyclists and pillion riders who have died as a result of road accidents. Those road users will be given particular attention as the police ramp up their efforts.

Other statistics show that accidents occur mostly at nights and from Thursday to Monday.

“I think our statistics have already been destroyed on the trend for this year. I don’t think we will achieve the less than 100 road deaths which we achieved last year. But we recognise that there is an increased number of vehicles on the road. We recognise that there are persons who still insist on driving while drunk, or just speeding for the joy of it,” Minister Benn related.