The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) on Wednesday announced that it will begin the calibration of approximately 250 tint meters and 12 sound level meters used by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) beginning July 13 as part of efforts to ensure the accuracy and reliability of traffic enforcement equipment.
The exercise will take place at GNBS Head Office in Sophia, Georgetown, and is aimed at improving the quality and reliability of services provided to members of the public by ensuring that tint meters used by the GPF’s Traffic Department are accurately calibrated to support effective traffic enforcement and successful prosecution in court.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GNBS, Trevor Bassoo, explained that this move will greatly assist enforcement of several road regulations.
“These services, as you’re aware, will support enforcement in regulations, which include the motor vehicles and road traffic regulations of 2026, which were recently passed and published in the Official Gazette in January of 2026, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency noise regulation.”
Bassoo explained that the initiative forms part of a wider national programme that the Government plans to roll out countrywide. He noted that the devices are designed to monitor and measure noise levels, particularly in areas where entertainment establishments operate, in support of efforts to address excessive noise pollution.
“GNBS here; we’re playing our role to ensure that that plan is realised by verifying the sound level meters,” Bassoo said.
Meanwhile, Traffic Chief and Assistant Commissioner of Police Mahendra Singh described the initiative as a success story that continues to benefit the public through the partnership between the Guyana Police Force and the GNBS.
He explained that the tint meters have been in use for several months and have already undergone calibration. Singh noted that the core services provided by the GNBS contribute significantly to the Police Force’s operational capacity, with officers receiving training on the proper use of the equipment while the devices undergo regular testing and calibration.
“This meter is in our country; it has been in use for the past several months, and it has already been subject to calibration. All of the core services provided by the GNBS tie right into our motors and capacity building. All people are trained by the GNBS; the equipment is tested and calibrated. Each cycle, which lasts for six months or a year, as the case may be, is duly observed.”
Singh said the continued collaboration between the GPF and the GNBS is intended to strengthen traffic enforcement while ensuring that the equipment is used correctly and that members of the public can have confidence in the results.
“We ensure that each day as we deploy this equipment, it is used for the intended purpose by forces who are authorised by the Commission of Police in keeping with the law. And so, everything that we can tell you about the success story which is continuing, where the Bureau of Standards is partnering with us, is only to ensure that all these agencies do something that will ensure that the public benefits.”
Meanwhile, Head of Air, Noise and Radiation for technical services at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michelle Nurse, highlighted the sound systems, noting that they will help ensure downtime is reduced.
“So, the introduction of this service will help ensure that sound level meters used by the EPA, by the Guyana Police Force, by consultants and other stakeholders and private operators are accurate and that they’re dependable. This local service will also ensure that downtime is reduced. That at least we can always organise to have verified equipment available for our use,” she stated.
Back in April, Attorney General Anil Nandlall had stated that the Government will be moving to strengthen enforcement of existing noise-nuisance laws with plans to expand the role of the GPF in ensuring compliance.
He had further stated that there is a comprehensive regulatory framework in the Environmental Protection Act regulations that were enacted since 2000, but the problem was the enforcement aspect.
As a result, Nandlall related, the Government intends to integrate these provisions into the broader criminal-law framework to allow for greater enforcement support.
This move, he added, does not introduce new penalties but rather reinforces existing ones already outlined in the EPA regulations. These include fines ranging from $300,000 to $750,000, as well as the possibility of imprisonment for up to one year upon conviction.
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