Unrealistic and outdated speed limits

Apr 18, 2025 Letters

---

Dear Editor,

I recently saw a report in the Guyana Times Newspaper (April 15th, 2025), edition on His Excellency President Irfaan Ali’s visit to Goed Fortuin, Region Three where he spoke briefly on the Electronic Ticketing System (E-Ticketing) that was recently introduced to the roads in Guyana.

I must commend His Excellency and the PPP/C government for introducing such a system in Guyana to help curb the recklessness and dangerous driving on our roadways. This is basically bridging the gap between our old ticketing system with modern infrastructure using technology.

As he mentioned from the first day, the E-ticketing system went online to now, there has been a significant drop in traffic offences from an average of 275 per day to 75. This shows the seriousness of this Government in building a safer Guyana for everyone and its efforts in diminishing the number of road fatalities that we see happening almost every day. For this, the President Irfaan Ali and his government deserve a pat on the back.

However, there are a few observations that I wish to highlight and hope that they are taken into consideration at some point. It is no doubt that road safety remains a pressing issue in Guyana, with accidents and traffic violations that continue to claim lives and even cause serious injuries almost every day. While we can allude to the fact that various factors contribute to this challenge inclusive of reckless driving, poor road conditions (in some cases), and limited enforcement, we often overlook the major contributor which is the presence of unrealistic speed limits.

Many of the speed limits on our roadways are too low to reflect modern vehicle capabilities and road designs. Today, many cars are equipped with new technologies such as pedestrian alerts, collision warning, automatic braking, etc. and our roads today have modernised in their design thanks to the current PPP government. Despite this, we are still using speed limits from ages ago. This mismatch is a serious issue as it confuses drivers which often leads to the undermining of respect for traffic laws and affects effective and efficient transportation.

If we look across several major routes in Guyana, speed limits can seem arbitrary or outdated. For example, some well-paved and relatively straight highways still impose speed limits as low as 35km/h, while some others lack any clear speed regulations for drivers. On the Rupert Craig Highway/ East Coast Public Road where there is a four-lane highway, a speed limit of 80km/h is in effect from Georgetown up to Better-Hope and a 65km/h from there all the way to Belfield while that part of the road was still a two-lane highway. Now there has been an extension of the four-lane from Better-Hope to Annandale but the old limit of 65km/h is still enforced on that section of the road. These inconsistencies not only frustrate drivers but also reduce the effectiveness of the law. Drivers often ignore speed limits they encounter when they feel that they are unreasonable, while it can be argued that obeying the limit could save lives.

Guyana is currently on the rise in terms of its economic activities and as such, there has been a growing vehicle population and evolving infrastructure. What this means is that old standards may no longer be appropriate or applicable to a new and modern Guyana. What we once knew as quiet roads serving a few villages may now be transformed into busy arteries connecting multiple communities and businesses. In these scenarios, keeping old speed restrictions may slow down economic activity and increase travel time unnecessarily.

The other side of the problem is almost as dangerous. In some locations, the conditions of roads, lack of adequate lighting, improper signage, etc. demands a lower or safer speed limit than what is often the reality. This is also a particular concern for school zones, market areas and residential neighbourhoods where high speeds can increase the chances of fatalities.

What Guyana therefore needs is a comprehensive and thorough review of its national speed limit policy. It is important for this review to not be limited to just adjusting speed limits but in doing so, it must have an assessment of the current road conditions, updated traffic studies and have a community input. The new speed limits therefore should be based on several clear criteria including but not limited to road quality, surrounding environment, pedestrian traffic and history of accidents. Once the speed limits are made more realistic and justified then public awareness campaigns and improved law enforcements can help to ensure compliance.

In conclusion, unrealistic speed limits in Guyana are not merely an inconvenience for drivers but it is also a pressing road safety hazard and a barrier to modern day transportation efficiency. A smarter, inclusive and data-driven approach to setting speed limits and other road regulations paired with adequate enforcement and modern infrastructure (currently taking place) can make Guyana’s road network safer, more efficient and more respectful of both driver and pedestrian.

Sincerely

Shivesh Persaud

---

---