‘AFC’s 2 am curfew inadequate’ – PNC withholds support

– says a data-driven, holistic approach is needed

The Peoples National Congress (PNC) on Tuesday described the Alliance For Change’s (AFC) call for the reintroduction of the 2 am curfew as “inadequate” to address road accidents.
“The PNCR has noted media reports that quote the AFC, in the person of its former Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, as saying that the 2 AM curfew should be re-instated as a measure to reduce road accidents and fatalities. Without any empirical data or statistical analysis, the PNCR cannot support the AFC’s proposal,” the PNC said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Moreover, the PNCR is convinced that the road accident crisis cannot be resolved by merely one measure. It requires a holistic and data-driven approach, with continuous monitoring,” the party added.
The party stated that urgent and comprehensive actions are needed to reduce road accidents and fatalities on our roadways while adding that it is alarmed over the sharp rise in road accidents, injuries, and deaths.
“This carnage has engulfed all our highways and all types of road users and vehicles: from pedestrians and motorcycles to cars, buses, and trucks.”
Further, the PNC stated that the national crisis requires urgent and robust government responses and proposed a review of traffic accident statistics, be urgently undertaken to determine the range of causes for accidents and their relative contributions.
These include speeding, driver inattention, driving under the influence, animal/vehicle conflict, pedestrian/vehicle conflict, fixed object crashes, and intersection crashes.
In addition, the release added that safety audits must be conducted on our major roads like Essequibo Coast Road, West Coast and West Bank Demerara Roads, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, East Coast Road, and the Corentyne Highway.
“As part of this audit, all substandard design elements that contribute to reducing the safety of the roadway must be identified. Such elements could include rideability (the state of the surface of the road, e.g. the Soesdyke/Linden Highway which is now difficult to traverse), proximity of fixed objects to the carriageway, passing sight distances, and roadway turn design. This audit will allow us to direct the necessary funding to improve safety in a data-driven and targeted manner.”
Finally, the PNC recommends robust education and enforcement programmes.
During a press conference on Friday last, AFC’s past leader and former Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan called for the 2 am curfew to be reinstated.
“The AFC advises that the 2 am curfew which was in place under the coalition Government be reinstituted. It would have avoided so many deaths on our roads,” Ramjattan said.
The 2 am curfew was often relaxed during the holiday periods when there would be higher-than-usual alcohol consumption among persons – thereby defeating the intended purpose of the curfew – to curb road fatalities, especially those caused by drunk driving.
Moreover, the curfew was widely criticised as being anti-business.