Dear Editor,
From the outset, please allow me to extend heartfelt commiserations to the bereaved families who continue to suffer due to road carnage.
Guyana’s road fatalities continue to rank among the highest in the region and the world. We continue to see a complete disregard for the law and for human lives. We continue to witness the wanton abuse of basic decency on our roadways. The laws are not being enforced due to weak institutions and the culture of corruption. Errant drivers refuse to adhere to the traffic rules.
It is evident there is need for robust intervention, which must come from the highest level of the state.
The President must declare road safety as a high national priority, and Cabinet members must be given instruction to consider this in the execution of their mandates.
Added to this measure, the Government must consider:
* Immediate data collection and research on the cause of crashes. This should be a collaborative effort between the MoHA and the Bureau of Statistics; once the data is in, it should be used to guide all policies on the issue.
* The Ministry of Home Affairs should implement a slow-moving traffic day all across the country.
* The Ministry of Home Affairs should craft a strategy to deal with the carnage that is based on five (5) pillars: road safety management, safe roads and mobility, safe vehicles, safe road use, and post-crash response.
* The Government should consider high investments in technologies to implement the laws geared towards road safety.
* Increase road safety education programmes, and review the system of licensing drivers.
Sincerely,
Geeta Chandan-
Edmond
