We cannot continue to squander our human resource

Dec 19, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

There has been a lot of debate surrounding the recent spate of vehicular accidents in Guyana. The arguments and suggestions ranged from more speed bumps, importing big buses and increasing fines to charging drivers with vehicular homicide, putting more policemen on the road and importing only new mini-buses.
However, do we as a country want band-aid, quick fixes or are we searching for solutions that would revamp our transportation system and result in changed behaviours and a rewiring of the psyche of drivers and all road users.
I believe that with the revocation of their licenses with reasonable discretion based on the circumstances of the incident, persons who take to the wheel will be more circumspect and would practice the five ‘Cs’ without having to be compelled by a speed-bump or a traffic police.
We all know what happens when these drivers pass the police and the speed hump. A driver will be more willing to adhere to road rules if he knows he is likely to lose his licence due to an accident caused by him.
A large percentage of minibus drivers have no other source of income and therefore a revocation of their licences would become a bread-and-butter issue that would force them into compliance. Others would comply simply to retain their right to drive.
Another issue of concern is the tinted vehicles that the police would target during their sporadic campaigns. Can we not regulate the tint shops by requiring them to see a tint permit before they apply tint to someone’s vehicle? They will comply once they know the police can come after them.
I think it would make for less time spent by the police pursuing tinted vehicles and other traffic violators. In other parts of the world, drivers are greeted with their violations when they try to renew their licence, insurance and access other services. We cannot as a country, continue to squander our human resource in this manner.

Very perturbed road user
Danielle Campbell-Lowe

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