Crackdown on vendors, containers endangering roadway – Edghill to police

…as GPF receives $50M in traffic equipment

The Guyana Police Force has said that it is now the recipient of $50 million worth of traffic equipment, through the partnership of the Public Works Ministry and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The equipment was handed over at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) tarmac in Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, on Thursday, and included mobile road blocks, lighted vests and two-way speeding guns.
They are expected to complement the arsenal of traffic ranks as they work to make our roadways safe.
Stating that “one life lost on the road is one too many,” the minister disclosed that the public works ministry will continue to aid and support the GPF, while calling on the Force to deal with the swath of vendors, who take to selling on the new highways and roadways.
In addition, the new culture of placing containers along the shoulders of recently built or upgraded roads was also frowned upon by the Minister, who charged the Traffic Chief to engage the owners, in an effort to discontinue this practice that is a hazard to road users.
According to Edghill, the government is turning a new page in traffic safety for police ranks by setting up portable roadblocks to protect officers from speeding and reckless drivers.
“I’m sure you know the number of policemen who get injured or are nearly hit by vehicles at roadblocks, because some people don’t pay attention to them. So, we are rolling out portable speed bumps in modular segments to ensure the safety of police officers and others conducting roadblock traffic management,” the Minister explained.
Amidst these interventions, Minister Edghill stressed the need for a cultural shift in the mindset of errant drivers.
“I am making a call this morning. At the individual level, we must have a cultural change when it comes to traffic and the use of our roads. And how do we achieve that cultural change? It must start with peer pressure,” he said.
“We have put laws in place to prevent drunk driving, but we’ve got to talk to each other. If you’re drinking tonight, you can’t drive, in the new law we’ve implemented, the bar owner can be charged if he allows someone who has been drinking all night to drive,” Edghill warned.
He added, “You’ve got to take the keys. We’ve moved the responsibility beyond just the reckless individual who wants to drink and then drive with blurred vision or in a spirited manner. We’ve got to talk to each other. Speeding must also be addressed.”
Edghill in his address noted too that with the expansive road networks in place and currently being developed, there is a need for road users to resist from speeding, as he related that numerous requests for speed bumps have been lodged with his ministry.
He further emphasized the need to address issues related to truckers on the roadways, highlighting that currently Guyana needs to lend their focus to the truck driver in an attempt to develop livelihood awareness.
As such, he also revealed that the ministry is in the process of procuring 200 clamps for trucks.
Edghill pointed out that another major reason for purchasing these clamps is the issue of unsafe parking.
“One of the main reasons why we’re buying these wheel clamps—and members of the media can help me get this message out—is because one of the dangers developing right now is trucks parking on lit roadways at night on major thoroughfares. We all drive, we walk, and we sleep, but it seems like every time a new road is built, the Ministry of Public Works is forced to address these parking issues.”
The IDB Country Representative, Lorena Salazar in remarks said that “it is better to lose one minute of your time than to lose your life in a minute” as she expressed the agency’s delight in the partnership for enhanced road safety in Guyana.
In a release, the GPF said that in accepting the donation, Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken stated that the force is pleased with the new equipment that will go a long way as the Force continues the modernising of its traffic posture.
Also present at the handover ceremony were Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ Ravindradat Budhram, Traffic Chief Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, Senior Engineer of the Public Works Ministry, Kester Hinds and other officials, officers and ranks of the Guyana Police Force.