Hassling travellers is bad for tourism Mr Traffic Police

Dear Editor,

It is with utter dismay that I pen this letter about the harassment of drivers by traffic ranks heading to the Timehri Airport, although there are many calls from the Traffic Chief and the Commissioner of Police denouncing this behaviour.

Recently I was a passenger in a vehicle heading to the airport to drop off my sister and as the vehicle turned onto the turn in Timehri heading towards the airport a traffic rank stopped the vehicle.

It appears as if the traffic ranks are out to target all the passengers heading to the airport to catch their flight because I have noticed a pattern.

The driver of the vehicle was told that he was speeding and was above the speed limit for the zone. The rank further told the driver that the speed limit is listed at the Soesdyke Junction and he was above that limited. This is although I was noticing minibuses and other vehicle flying around the turn at a fast rate of speed to which the Police ignored because it appears as though these drivers are known to him. The driver was subsequently charged and issued a ticket because he was going over the 60KMH speed limit. He was travelling at 62KMH. The Police was right in doing his work; however, on multiple occasions when I visit the airport, I notice these ranks out pulling vehicles over because they have their own aims that I’m sure the senior Police Officers of the Guyana Police Force already acknowledge. I would like the Traffic Chief and the Commissioner of Police to reiterate to the traffic ranks that hassling travellers minutes away from the airport isn’t right since the real reason the rank pulled the vehicle over because of the rush is well known to all and sundry. Citizens are not to be taken for granted when you’re serving the public and representing an image of Guyana.

Yours truly,

Haleem Khan