Drivers continue to be victimised by traffic ranks

Dear Editor,
It should be noted that roads in Guyana, like those in most countries, have legally assigned numerical maximum speed limits that apply to both urban and rural roads. As such, speed limits’ enforcement is the action taken by the appropriate empowered authority, the Guyana Police Force, to ensure that vehicles comply with the legal speed limits.
The methods used to enforce speed limits have always been controversial, and even more so in Guyana.
In most countries of the world, speed limit signs display the limitation using black text within a red circle with a white background. This design follows the “Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals “.
On September 25th, 2008, Guyana assented to this UN treaty, but failed to comply with the UN Convention on signs and signals in the erection of speed limit signs across the country.
The Government, through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, is mandated to ensure that drivers are safe, and do not exceed the legal speed limits. Based on the UN Convention, it is absolutely necessary to ensure there is proper installation of road signs along the roadways in Guyana, especially when there is a change of the speed limit on the road.
It is evident that drivers are being charged for exceeding speed limits when there are no speed limit signs erected. This is a clear violation of the rights of the drivers, and should be corrected immediately by the relevant authorities.
Presently, there are advertising signs erected by Pepsi and other companies to guide you in regard to the names of villages, and at the bottom of these signs, there is a small indication of the speed limits. This is not legal, based on the Vienna Convention on Roads Signs, and as such, Traffic officers should stop this unnecessary victimisation until proper, visible signs are erected to display speed limits on the roads.
I am absolutely convinced that in Region Five and Six, drivers have the most traffic charges in the entire country on a yearly basis. This adds to the constant burdens that are now imposed on drivers: increases in fuel prices, payment of NIS, removal of tints, ban on used tyres etc.
While these are sometimes considered the law, Government continues to fail Guyanese. For example, the ban on used tyres by the coalition Government leaves drivers with no other option but to purchase new tyres for their vehicles, while the Government, which is responsible for fixing the potholes, is unable to do so; and, as such, when the drivers drive into the potholes, their tyres are damaged and this results in drivers losing thousands of dollars because of the Government’s incompetence and mismanagement.
Since there is a campaign to enforce the tint law on vehicles, we need to establish if, since implementation of the tint laws, there has been a reduction in crime, as that was the intended purpose. There definitely was no reduction in crime, and since 2015, there is an increase of crime in Guyana; so we can conclude that the ban on tint was ineffective, and, as such, it should be reviewed.
Finally Traffic officers issue speeding tickets if you exceed the speed limits by even one km per hour. This is definitely unreasonable, and provision should be made to ensure a 5 – 10km-per-hour flexible rage, to ease unconscionable burdens on drivers and help in the elimination of corruption by Traffic ranks.
Based on the review by the masses, the present Minister of Public Security is incompetent, and fails in the management of this sector.
Regards,
Zamal Hussain