Govt committed to improving road safety – Minister Benn

The PPP/C government through the Ministry of Home Affairs is committed to improving road safety across the country to protect the lives of citizens.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn joined the road walk to commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2022.  

He said the government will power the efforts of preventing road deaths as road safety month is being observed under the theme ‘Safe Driving Safe Life’.

“I have the responsibility as minister to push forward the efforts we’re making in respect of preventing and its mostly preventable, accidents, deaths, loss of life of course and injuries on our roads and it requires a change in culture and behaviour bolstered by laws which we are now putting more and more in place,” he said at the Sea Wall Band Stand on Sunday.

The minister highlighted that three weeks ago, new measures were implemented to address speeding as well as drunk driving.

These measures were implemented to tackle the growing number of road accidents recently that the country would have experienced.

“While we are doing things in legislation and in respect of traffic management and awareness on our roads there is much to be done. So, we are paying attention in the parliament to increasing the fines, increasing the sanctions, increasing the resorts we have make to bring down and to deal with those persons who are non-complied in respect of road usage in Guyana,” said Minister Benn.

Some of the road safety interventions include the restoration of traffic management systems being rolled out through the Public Works Ministry. Speed cameras are currently on trial at the New Mandela four-lane road and are expected to be installed across the country, especially in urban areas.

Further, the minister highlighted that an app will be launched so citizens can report speeding and other acts of misdemeanours. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) will also be able to ticket persons through the app.

To this end, the minister urged persons who have outstanding tickets to get these paid immediately as the government will now be clamping down on persons with outstanding fines.

Meanwhile, the minister is calling on members of the GPF to raise the level of integrity, enforcement, and diligence with respect to traffic management and the punishing of traffic offenders.