Some suggestions on how to avoid fatal accidents on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway

Sep 24, 2008 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
The method of dealing with this problem, that of penning this open letter, is necessary, since it would have been very difficult to address all of these issues through individual letters and still gauge their effect in terms of action, or the lack thereof, on these issues.

In the heat of the moment, many persons cry foul and utilise the wisdom of hindsight to bemoan all that could have been done to avert a tragedy, such as that which befell the several families here at Linden on October 10th 2007, when the accident involving minibus BGG 9112 resulted in the loss of 10 lives.

Lest we forget, two other Lindeners lost their lives almost at that same spot, under similar circumstances, at the break of January 2006, when a vehicle collided with a logging truck on the Amelia’s Ward Hill on the Linden Soesdyke Highway.

While I join the rest of Linden in extending my sincere sympathy and condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased, I thought to use this opportunity for a more constructive purpose, that of putting together a list of 10 extremely simple and eminently applicable measures that will definitely reduce the possibility of a recurrence of this tragedy.

Let me hasten to say that, in my estimation, it is only the implementation of these and other similar measures, not readily apparent to me at this time, that will ensure the safety of our loved ones as we use these roads; and so I call for a very public endorsement of these suggestions by as many persons as possible, to lend to the achievement of this objective.

I have deliberately included items that need to be addressed by a large cross-section of our society, including the Ministers of Home Affairs and Public Works and Communication, the Commissioner of Police, and all members of our society, since it is only by each sector doing its part that this aim could be achieved.
The following 10 things must be done to reduce these horrific accidents on our roads:

1. Relocating the end of the Linden Soesdyke Highway at Linden, as identified by law, from its present location at Kara Kara in the vicinity of the Municipal Toll Booth and Guyana Forestry Commission office at Linden.  This would effectively reduce the approved speed limit along this road from the highway approved limit of 96 KPH to a more acceptable and sedate 30 KPH. 

This is necessary, since this road runs through the very populous communities of Amelia’s Ward and Kara Kara Housing Scheme, and along which school children from the Amelia’s Ward and South Amelia’s Ward Nursery Schools, Amelia’s Ward Primary School, Linden Foundation Secondary School and Mackenzie  Primary School have to congregate or traverse.

2. Effect legislation and enforcement to ensure that trucks of a specified definition, whether double or single axle, have in their possession at least two large reflector triangles to indicate distress or defect of these equipment when they encounter mechanical problems, as well as ensuring that they are displayed as soon as this occurs.

3. Restrict these trucks, as defined at item two above, from travelling along the major highways of our country after 17:00 hrs (5 p.m.). These persons should plan their travel to complete their journey before this time, or should be forced to pull over into one of the many parking areas along the Linden Soesdyke Highway and display their reflective triangles before they are allowed to resume travel no earlier than after 05:00 hrs the next morning.

4. The enforcement of (if present), or development and enforcement of, legislation to ensure that all vehicles are certified as fit to travel along the roadways in Guyana at a minimum of every two years following a physical inspection of these equipment.

5. A mandatory presence of traffic officers at the Bus Park at Linden.  This is a point that should not even require stating, given the fact that buses operating along at least four routes utilise the park currently, namely those plying the Linden to Georgetown and Linden to Kwakwani routes, and the buses that provide transportation to Wisroc and Amelia’s Ward.  A traffic officer stationed at this park is therefore necessary, at a minimum of two shifts between the hours of 06:00 hrs and 22:00 hrs. 

These officers can do much to ensure that, at the very least, these buses depart with only the lawful complement of passengers, and are in proper working order when offering their services to unsuspecting commuters.

6. Regular patrols by the police traffic department to ensure that our roadways are utilised with proper decorum and with due attention to the five C’s.  The current visibility of traffic ranks along the Linden Soesdyke Highway, especially along this corridor closer to Linden, is almost non-existent, and bodes ill for the proper use of this road by our more unscrupulous drivers.

7. A re-examination of the existing requirements and introduction of more stringent measures for the issuance of licences to persons operating public transportation are necessary.

8. The overhaul of the penalties and charges for causing death by dangerous driving (vehicular manslaughter), in order for this law to provide more of a deterrent to uncouth and unlawful actions by drivers.

9. The re-education of the masses (the public) of their rights as it relates to use of public transportation, as well as the unfortunate consequences of accepting lesser standards of behaviour by bus drivers, who pack passengers like sardines in a can, but upon getting into an accident, render their insurance null and void by these actions.

10. The firm and forceful denouncement by our commuters of any attempt on the part of a bus driver or other operator of public transportation to engage in unlawful activity, such as overtaking in areas where this would present a hazard, exceeding the speed limit, stopping less than the prescribed distance from a corner, or the familiar encouragement to “give the man a squeeze”, resulting in the vehicle being overloaded.

I also include a heartfelt plea to the expected publishers of this letter, the daily newspapers in Guyana, to re-publish this letter in two months’ time as well as an assessment of what has been done with respect to the 10 submissions here, so that we can gauge our progress along the road to ensuring the safety of our families and friends as they use our roads.

Finally, I strongly urge that the relevant ministers and other officials respond in the media to these suggestions, so that we can become aware of the extent of their involvement in the process to ensure that a tragedy like the one that had fallen on the people of Linden does not happen again, not only in Linden, but across our country as a whole.

Leon Roberts

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