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Police intensify traffic campaign for Yuletide Season
NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – Starting today, the eastern and western sections of Berbice are to witness heightened police traffic enforcement campaigns. This is in preparation for the Yuletide Season.
Last week, senior officials of Division ‘B’ of the Guyana Police Force outlined plans for the November 15th, 2009, to January 15th, 2010 period.
From left: Divisional Detective Officer Superintendent Marlon Chapman, Commander of Division ‘B’ of the Guyana Police Force Assistant Commissioner George Alexander Vyphuis, Deputy Commander Senior Superintendent Wreford Johnson and Officer-In-Charge of Traffic Assistant Superintendent Calvin Brutus.
At the function which was held at the New Amsterdam Town Hall, Assistant Superintendent Calvin Brutus who was holding the fort as Officer-In-Charge of Traffic, indicated that all aspects of road safety would be intensified throughout East and West Berbice.
This involves escorts leading vehicles along high traffic areas to and from specific locations during peak hours on both sides of the Berbice River. These exercises would be done simultaneously and patrols would cross paths along the route. For instance, an escort would depart D’Edward Village and head to the Abary Bridge, while another would leave the Abary Bridge and head to D’Edward Village at the same time. Both patrols would continue the trek in that manner until the end of the peak hours.
On the eastern side, the same strategy would be used; the high traffic areas are between Albion and the Berbice River Bridge and Borlam – Corriverton. The Springlands Police Station would handle the trek between Number Forty-three Village and Corriverton while Whim would take care of Number Forty-three Village to Borlam.
Outside of peak hours, regular patrols would be conducted into the night. In the three towns in Region Six, more focus would be placed on strategic thoroughfares – Strand, Pitt Street, Main Street and Republic Road in New Amsterdam, Rose Hall Town Public Road and the Corriverton Public Road. On the Western side the focal points would be D’Edward Village, Rosignol and Bush Lot particularly during peak hours.
Mr. Brutus is appealing to all road users to let better sense prevail, observe all safety laws and more importantly, desist from imbibing alcoholic beverages and taking command of the wheel.
With the respective laws now in force, action would be taken against those whose hands are occupied with mobile telephones, who fail to respect the signal of the siren, and those who are under the influence of alcohol while driving.
The latter was cited as the main reason for the increase of deaths on the roadway in Berbice. The Corentyne area between Albion and Crabwood Creek is said to be the district with the highest number of accidents in which drivers were said to be under the influence.
More patrols have been deployed to this locality in an attempt to curb this tendency and full use is being made of the breathalyzer test.
It is mandatory that all categories of drivers, even those of animal drawn vehicles and cycles, once involved in an accident must undergo the breathalyzer test on the scene unless hospitalised. If the situation calls for admittance to hospital then doctors at the three facilities identified for Division ‘B’ – New Amsterdam, Skeldon and Fort Wellington Hospitals, must draw blood and have the samples tested for alcohol as directed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. The findings of that sample, if above the prescribed limit, would lead to prosecution, if below then the reference would be kept on file.
More deaths occurred on the Berbice roadways this year when placed alongside statistics of 2008. Last year, between January 1st and October 31st there were 18 fatal accidents with a matching number of deaths. During the said period in 2009 the figure stands at 23 with 24 lives lost on the roadways.
The mishap on Thursday evening which claimed the life of a Jockey would increase the data to 24 fatal accidents with 25 persons perishing on roads in Berbice. Horseback rider Royston Dobson, a 40-year old of Lot 108 Murphy Dam, Rosignol was killed by a lorry on Thursday on the West Coast of Berbice.
Police are still investigating the matter but the driver of the lorry was detained and released on Friday. Information gathered so far indicate that about 16:45 hours, 31-year old Mahase Dasodeen, of Lot 222 Bush Lot New Housing Scheme, was driving a lorry east along the northern side of the Cottage Public Road. He was said to be travelling at a normal rate of speed when Royston Dobson who was riding a horse dashed out from a cross street heading to the southern side. He ended in the path of the vehicle and the right front of lorry collided with the animal. The horse died on the spot.
The unconscious Jockey was rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital where he was attended to and referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Royston Dobson was admitted to the intensive care unit in Georgetown but succumbed about 21:00 hours Thursday.
Meanwhile, serious accidents stand at 50 this year as compared 53 for the corresponding period in 2008.
Assistant Superintendent Brutus noted that beat duty and motor cycle patrols during daylight and patrols at night have already increased in all three sub-divisions. These sub-divisions are Number One – Borlam to the East Bank of Berbice including East and West Canje and New Amsterdam, Two – Borlam to Orealla/Siparuta including Black Bush Polder and Number Three – West Bank and Coast of Berbice.
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