Latest update December 17th, 2024 3:32 AM
Public Security becomes public harassment
Dear Editor,
Drivers across the country continue to be victimised by traffic ranks of the Guyana Police Force especially in Regions Five and Six .
It should be noted that roads in Guyana like most countries have a legally assigned numerical maximum speed limit that applies to both urban and rural roads. As such speed limits enforcement is the action taken by the appropriate empowered authority the Guyana Police Force to ensure that vehicles complied with the legal speed limits.
The methods used to enforce speed limits have always been controversial and even more so in Guyana.
In most countries of the world speed limits signs display the limitation using black text within a red circle with a white background. This design follows the “Vienna Convention on Roads Signs and Signals.” On 25th September 2008 Guyana assented to this UN treaty but failed to comply with the UN convention on signs and signals in the erection of speed limits signs across the country.
The Government through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is mandated to ensure that drivers are safe and do not exceed the legal speed limits .Based on the UN Convention it is absolutely necessary to ensure there is proper installation of road signs along the roadways in Guyana especially when there is a change of the speed limits on the roads.
It is evident that drivers are being charged for exceeding speed limits when there is no speed limits sign. This is a clear violation of the rights of the drivers and should be corrected immediately by the relevant authorities.
Presently there are advertising signs erected by Pepsi etc to guide you with the names of villages and at the bottom of these signs there is a small indication of the speed limits. This is not legal based on Vienna Convention on Roads Signs and as such traffic officers should stop this unnecessary victimisation until proper visible signs are erected to display speed limits on the roads.
I am absolutely convinced that in Regions Five and Six drivers have the most traffic charges in the entire country on a yearly basis. This adds to the constant burdens that are now imposed on drivers. There are increases in fuel prices, payment of NIS, removal of tints, ban on used tyres etc.
While these are sometimes considered the laws, the government continues to fail Guyanese. For example, the ban on used tyres by the coalition government leaves drivers with no other options but to purchase new tyres for their vechicles while the government who is responsible for fixing the potholes is unable to do so.
As such when the drivers drive into the potholes it damages their tyres resulting in drivers losing thousands of dollars because of the government incompetence and mismanagement.
Since there is a campaign to enforce the tint law on vehicles we need to establish if, since the implementation of the tint laws, there was a reduction in crime as that was the intended purpose.
Definitely there was no reduction in crime. Since 2015 there is an increase of crime in Guyana so we can conclude that the ban on tint was ineffective and as such it should be reviewed.
Finally traffic officers issue speeding tickets if you exceed the speed limits by even one km per hour which is definitely unreasonable. Provision should be made to ensure a 5-10 km per hour flexible range to ease unconscionable burdens on drivers and help in the elimination of corruption by traffic ranks.
Based on the review by the masses the present Minister of Public Security is incompetent and fails in the management of this sector.
Regards
Zamal Hussain
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The oil industry is a casino of cash, power and corruption
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- According to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow in her book, Blowout: “The oil and gas industry... more
Let the asylum seekers go: a first step for Venezuela to rebuild relations in the Americas
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – The government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela has steadfast support from many... more
Weekend Cartoon
