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Gov’t uneasy over speeding, inexperienced truck drivers
—President Ali mulls amendments to traffic laws to tackle lawlessness on roadways
Kaieteur News- President Irfaan Ali has signaled potential amendments to Guyana’s traffic laws to tackle what he described as “lawlessness” on the country roadways as he expressed his government’s uneasiness with the speeding, inexperienced truck drivers on the roadways.
President Irfaan Ali during his address at the Annual Police Conference.
This publication reported earlier this week that five men lost their lives tragically between Sunday night and Monday morning after they were involved in three separate accidents along the roadways in Corentyne Berbice and at Wallers Delight Public Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD). Speaking at the opening of the Annual Officers’ Conference 2025 at the Guyana Police Force headquarters, Eve Leary, on Wednesday, the head-of-state acknowledged improvements in road safety but stressed that more work remains to be done.
“Those challenges that weaken our ability to achieve these things that we have to address, the traffic laws. While we have seen tremendous improvement, there is a lot that must be done. There’s not a single person in this room who would tell me that there’s not an element of uneasiness if you have to drive to the airport and it’s not during the day, it’s 24/7, the trucks,” President Ali said.
He underscored the hazards posed by speeding and inexperienced truck drivers on the roadways, pointing out that the average age of truck drivers has decreased significantly in recent years, posing an added risk to commuters. “Look, let’s be realistic. Policies must be balanced. We have to implement strong measures to limit the speed of those trucks but we also have a problem. The average age of a truck driver years ago, may have been 30 plus today is what 22 or 23, you don’t develop road experience before you get to that truck. I can tell you, handling a truck is completely different from handling a car, the braking speed, the difference in the braking speed, load factor,” President Ali noted.
He underscored the need for a comprehensive approach that includes the use of technology, infrastructure investment, and legislative reforms. He referenced existing efforts, such as the introduction of electronic traffic tickets (E-tickets), speed cameras, and other monitoring tools, but stressed that stronger enforcement mechanisms are necessary. “But we also have to further amend the laws to have stronger enforcement elements and penalties,” he stated.
Ali also pointed to the importance of societal responsibility in curbing reckless driving habits, stating that while penalties play a role in enforcement, public consciousness and accountability are crucial. “It’s not the best approach that penalties must drive change. The best approach is that self-consciousness, societal pressure, doing the right thing, should be able to drive change and drive home the point that we have to do the right thing, but unfortunately, when that doesn’t work, you have to go to stronger measures, which are the penalties,” Ali said.
Moreover, President Ali called for a holistic strategy to address the issue, highlighting key pillars such as enforcement, education, infrastructure development, and accountability. He reiterated that investments in road infrastructure must go hand in hand with strict regulations to ensure a safer and more efficient transportation system. President Ali’s remarks come amid growing public concern over road fatalities and reckless driving among other factors.
(Gov’t uneasy over speeding, inexperienced truck drivers)
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