Consistent decline in road fatalities and serious accidents – President Ali

The government’s proactive strategies to combat road carnage and abuse of the roadways have led to consistent decreases in serious and fatal road accidents.

This observation was shared by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who noted that fatal accidents are down by 20 per cent in 2024 when compared to the previous year.   

“In serious accidents, a decrease by two per cent and minor accidents decreased by three per cent, and that’s from a safety perspective. We have consistent decreases from last year, which would have meant that some of the interventions that we have made are bearing fruits,” President Ali said during a press conference at State House on Tuesday.

On the enforcement side, there has been a 37 per cent increase in the number of cases brought to the courts, which the president said reflects the heightened efforts of the Guyana Police Force.  

“If you look at speeding tickets, 42,748 have been issued. If you look at summons executed in 2023, just about 10,000 were executed, but in 2024, 13,364 were executed,” he pointed out.

President Ali disclosed that the electronic speed monitoring system recorded more than 60,000 instances of speeding during its testing phase. This system will improve transparency and accountability and will soon be erected along major roadways.

“If you look at the reduction in fatal deaths and the reduction in all levels of intensity of accidents, you will see that there are several interventions that we can point to. One is the intensification of the traffic education programme,” the president pointed out.

Looking ahead, the government will focus on further implementation of the amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act.

Meanwhile, President Ali spoke of plans to implement a demerit point system to make the enforcement more user-friendly and technology-driven.

“The system is being developed to keep everyone safe and to ensure there is transparency and openness,” he said.

Recently, the president reiterated the government’s relentless crackdown on abuse of the roadways, noting that existing laws will be strengthened to ensure errant drivers are held accountable.