Increased road carnage: “We have to stop this, by bold measures” – Pres Ali

…as Govt mulls mandatory speed-limiting devices

In light of the carnage being caused on the roadways by errant motorists, the Government is mulling bold measures including mandatory speed limiting devices on every vehicle and it plans to hold national consultations on these ideas this year.
This was revealed when President Dr Irfaan Ali had an end of year interview with prominent women in society on Sunday which was live-streamed on his social media pages. According to the President, such measures must start with public transportation and other classes of vehicles known to exceed their speed limits.
“We have to stop this, by bold measures. I intend to have, for example in the new year, national consultations with all stakeholders. To promote some very tough measures. One of the things we’re thinking about are the speed stoppers, in the vehicles themselves.”

“So public transportation must not exceed a certain speed. And that thing, I think it’s called a governor. You put it into the engine and it does not allow you to exceed a certain speed. All public transportation. Then for trucks. We put another system in for trucks.”
The President acknowledged the boldness of these measures, but made clear the seriousness of the issue. Further, he explained that the Government would most likely bear the cost of procuring and distributing these speed limiting devices across the country.
“This is going to be a bold decision. We have to have a conversation on that, because I see it as a very important issue. We can’t have mothers, parents, children, losing loved ones like this. It does not make sense, when we need all our human potential at the development of the country,” President Ali said.
“The Government, I think, would have to buy these things and distribute it nationally. And make it mandatory… start with public transportation and trucks and so on and then, put a very hefty fine on persons who try to remove it or persons who do not use it.”

Speed limiters
A governor or speed limiter is a device installed on an engine and used to limit the top speed of a vehicle. Most speed limiters work by reducing the fuel supply to the engine, ensuring that the vehicle speed does not go past a specific limit.
Speed limiters are already in use in various jurisdictions, where they are a legal requirement for specific classes of vehicles. For example, speed limiters (Intelligent Speed Assist) are mandatory in all new cars, vans and lorries manufactured in Europe.

Lives lost
In September, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had unveiled a sobering statistic – 110 lives, including three children, have been tragically lost on the nation’s roadways up to that point this year.
The report, issued by the Police Force’s Public Relations Department, also revealed that 92 road accidents occurred between January and August, resulting in the tally of 110 fatalities, including children. Police data had also revealed that from 2021 to 2023, 11 lives were lost, and 14 individuals suffered significant injuries due to electric cycle incidents.
Over the past few months, a concerning surge in fatal incidents has particularly plagued the roadways of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara). Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mahendra Siwnarine, who is also the Commander for Division 3, had revealed in October that a total of 27 fatal accidents were registered up to that point this year, representing a staggering 237 per cent increase in road fatalities. These statistics had put the region in the lead with the highest percentage of fatal accidents for the year, countrywide.
To address the escalating road fatalities, a “Respect the Road” Road Safety Awareness Campaign was launched in collaboration with the Government of Guyana and Impressions in July 2023. During the campaign launch, it was disclosed that over 4000 traffic tickets had been issued in 2023, with more than 2000 individuals facing traffic offence charges. Additionally, in response to the surge in road fatalities involving electric bikes, the National Assembly had passed a new regulatory framework. (G3)