Home News New radar system & laws to reduce road carnage
…as traffic management system to tackle congestion on Mandela Avenue – Police
Given the vast expansions and upgrades being done to the country’s road networks, the issue of road safety assumes an even greater importance than previously. This was the position of Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh during his presentation of the 2024 Budget on Monday.
“Recognising this, Government will be implementing a robust road safety and traffic management plan,” he explained.
This plan includes the implementation of information technology solutions to manage traffic, including the development of a new radar system and new laws and regulations.
“These interventions are aimed at significantly reducing the carnage on our roadways,” the Finance Minister has said.
In November 2023, the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department reported a 71 per cent increase in road fatalities across the country, resulting in the deaths of 151 persons thus far for the year.
Traffic management
In response to the persistent traffic woes plaguing Mandela Avenue, Georgetown during peak hours, Inspector Garvin Boyce of Regional Division 4A (Georgetown), during an episode of ‘Traffic and You’ on Monday, announced an initiative aimed at revolutionising traffic management in the area.
The comprehensive plan seeks to alleviate congestion and streamline the flow of vehicles during morning and afternoon rush hours, thereby providing much-needed relief to commuters traversing this crucial thoroughfare.
Inspector Boyce, recognising the daily challenges faced by commuters and the impact on productivity and quality of life, emphasized the necessity for an efficient solution. He said the dedicated team at Regional Division 4A has been diligently working on a strategy to address the escalating congestion issue.
Slated for implementation in the coming weeks, the proposed traffic management system incorporates a range of measures to control traffic effectively.
Inspector Boyce underlined that the primary objective is not only to minimise traffic jams, but to bolster overall road safety and optimize the use of available resources.
“In our assessment, the admin team and I devised a plan after observing the bottleneck in northbound traffic from Mandela and Homestretch narrowing to one lane to proceed to Sherrif Street. We’ve implemented a system with cones on the bridge and ranks strategically positioned. This will ease the backup from the roundabout all the way to Mandela,” Inspector Boyce explained.
He has reported positive results, noting that a continuous flow of traffic was observed from Monday to Friday. Officers will therefore be monitoring the traffic from 6:30h to 21:00h during weekdays.
The implementation of this innovative traffic management system aligns with the broader goal of enhancing transportation infrastructure in the region, marking a significant step towards addressing the longstanding congestion issues on Mandela Avenue.