KEY stakeholders in Guyana’s road safety and traffic management sector convened a meeting on Tuesday to review proposed reforms to the country’s traffic legislation, in a move aimed at curbing road accidents and strengthening law enforcement.
The stakeholder engagement, held at the Police Officers’ Mess Annex, Eve Leary, brought together representatives from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Traffic Department, the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC), and the Law Reform Commission (LRC).
The discussions focused on the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act (Cap. 51:02) and the Licence Revenue Act (Cap. 79:02), with participants examining existing provisions and identifying areas requiring modernisation to address current road safety challenges. Key topics included the need for stricter penalties, enhanced regulatory oversight, and improved enforcement mechanisms to deter breaches of traffic laws.
The LRC was represented by Chairman Ms. Emily Dodson, Commissioners Teni Housty, Lenox Shuman, Everton Singh-Lammy, and Dr. Marie Correia, alongside Secretary Wendy Denanath. Representing the GPF were Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Mahendra Singh and other Traffic Department officers, while the GNRSC delegation included Coordinator Ramona Doorgen, Chairman Earl Lambert, and additional members.
At the conclusion of the engagement, stakeholders agreed to form a joint working group comprising representatives from the three entities. The group will develop formal recommendations to be submitted to the Honourable Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs for consideration.
Officials said the proposed reforms are expected to bolster national efforts to reduce traffic violations and road fatalities, improve enforcement efficiency, and modernise Guyana’s traffic legislation to meet contemporary challenges.