Vendors and lawless minibus drivers worsen Georgetown gridlock – police say

Police traffic officials say unregulated vending and disorderly minibuses continue to compound the already frustrating traffic congestion in the capital city, as they call for stronger collaboration between law enforcement and the Mayor and City Council.
Superintendent of Police Raun Clarke, Traffic Officer for Regional Division 4A (Georgetown), speaking on a recent episode of the police program Road Safety and You, said that while officers are out in the field daily enforcing traffic laws, their efforts are being undermined by ongoing issues with illegal vending and rogue minibus operators.

“Around the Stabroek Market area… vendors are within the parking where the buses have to traverse,” Clark explained during an appearance on NCN’s Road Safety and You. “That in itself is a challenge.”
Clarke acknowledged that while the City Constabulary is responsible for regulating those areas, their limited manpower often makes it difficult to maintain order. As a result, minibuses are seen loading and stopping outside of designated zones, further choking traffic on already narrow streets.
“We do not advocate for buses to just stop in the centre of the road or operate in any other area they are not supposed to,” he said. “Once they’re caught, they are dealt with: prosecuted.”
The superintendent also criticised minibus operators who use the ‘hot plate’ system, where they operate illegally outside of official rotation, sometimes causing vehicles to block lanes.
“There is an order which you have to follow… but, some persons tend to break those rules,” he said. “We normally have them prosecuted.”
Citizens, too, are speaking out. One caller during the programme expressed concern over having to stop “in the middle of the road” due to illegal parking and vending activities, particularly in areas around Republic Bank and the minibus park.
“The congestion in the same region is very, very bad there,” the caller said. “You get a car, and you gotta stop in the middle of the road.”
Clarke emphasised that enforcement alone won’t solve the problem. He called for vendors, drivers, and the City Council to work “hand in glove” with police to make public spaces more organised.
Meanwhile, on the East Bank corridor, Inspector Scott of Regional Division 4B acknowledged that while his division has not seen the same vendor-related congestion, enforcement continues daily.
“Myself and other traffic ranks conduct normal traffic duties during the morning period… while we caution drivers and remind them of their role and function on the roadway,” Scott said.
As both officers reiterated, road safety and congestion control are everyone’s business — not just the responsibility of the police.
“We try not to be overwhelmed by the large number of vehicles… but we are dealing with what is there to be dealt with,” Clarke noted.
Until lasting solutions are implemented, however, frustrated commuters may continue to find themselves crawling through a city gridlocked by overlapping lawlessness, from the sidewalks to the roadways.