Guyana’s diamond jubilee celebrations: Police ramp up traffic enforcement to prevent road deaths, accidents

As Guyana marks its Diamond Jubilee celebrations, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has intensified nationwide traffic enforcement operation aimed at reducing road fatalities and managing increased congestion expected during the independence period. With thousands of citizens, including members of the diaspora, participating in nationwide festivities, traffic officials said that the heightened police presence is intended to ensure that national celebrations do not translate into preventable road tragedies. Assistant Commissioner of Police and Traffic Chief, Mahendra Singh, said the deployment strategy focuses on prevention, visibility and maintaining continuous traffic flow across major roadways and event zones.
“Very importantly, our ranks would be strategically deployed at intersections where the convergence of traffic poses a challenge. Our ranks are on patrol, and the dominance patrol is to ensure what? Continuous progression, limiting every opportunity for an accident,” Singh explained. He added that the policing approach during the celebrations is not limited to enforcement but extends to coordinated movement management, particularly in areas hosting large public gatherings.
“So, you can expect during this period of celebration that everything that the traffic department does, it speaks to our shared responsibility for road safety and to ensure the general safety of the public, each class of road user,” he said. Singh noted that construction activity, increased pedestrian movement, and large entertainment events have all been factored into operational planning, with officers deployed to manage congestion and direct traffic flow. “You can also look out for police placed on the roadway, either on foot or in vehicles, to guide the movement of people, either towards the venue or when they are exiting and completion of a specific event,” he stated. A major component of this year’s operation is the increased use of technology, which the Traffic Department says is transforming how enforcement is carried out. “Over time we have seen we are not standing on the roadside waiting for a report anymore. We can remotely monitor spaces within our country now. We can predict what can happen, will happen, or how it happens,” Singh noted. He said the system is designed to improve responsiveness and accountability, while strengthening the overall efficiency of traffic management.
“Now, owing to technology and the progress we have experienced as an organisation and a department, we can remotely monitor through the use of technology with the deployment of cameras that enhance our coverage of larger spaces daily,” he added. The Assistant Commissioner also used the opportunity to caution motorists, particularly visitors and returning residents, to exercise care on the nation’s rapidly developing road network. “You must comply with the same. Drive at speeds that allow for what prevails in terms of the speed limit of the space you travel. Self-awareness. There is no option to this,” Singh said.
He further stressed that road safety is a shared responsibility among all road users, including drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. “With so much energy a buzzing, one of the things that you want to tell every single member of the public, road safety is a shared responsibility. Very, very, very important is that each road user has a role to play,” he said. Singh also addressed concerns about impaired driving during the holiday period, urging individuals who consume alcohol to make responsible transport arrangements. “We are not discouraging you from imbibing, if that is the way you celebrate. But we will tell you that it is unlawful,” he stated, adding that “the options are provided to you to have a designated driver… or you have the choice of alternative transportation… via taxi and or a booked ride.”
He emphasised that enforcement will be strict, but framed as protective rather than punitive. As celebrations continue across the country, the Traffic Department said its ultimate objective is to ensure that citizens can participate fully in independence festivities while still returning home safely at the end of each day.