Opposition parties, the Alliance for Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) are both concerned about the carnage on Guyana’s roadways. But while the former recommends an imposition of restricted movement, the other prefers a data-driven approach.
Just recently, statements were attributed to the former AFC Leader and ex-Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, calling for the return of the 2AM curfew his government imposed at various times between 2015 and 2020. The measure was implemented to combat, among other things, road accidents and noise nuisance.
While the curfew was touted by the then-government a cure-all to many other issues such as domestic violence and other criminal activities, many businesses ultimately went belly-up. Two years later, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on those surviving businesses, forcing many to eventually shutter. Now that the AFC is advocating for the reinstatement of the curfew, there is some apprehension from the populace.
The PNCR, which ruled alongside the AFC and supported the imposition of the curfew during 2015 and 2020, is now calling for a different approach, while at the same time, not fully dismissing the notion of a curfew.
“Without any empirical data or statistical analysis, the PNCR cannot support the AFC’s proposal. Moreover, the PNCR is convinced that the road accident crisis cannot be resolved by merely one measure. It requires a holistic and data-driven approach, with continuous monitoring,” the party said.
The Aubrey Norton-led PNCR has outlined a “framework” for reducing road accidents/fatalities. The party noted that the government must make haste in addressing congestion and road deaths by utilising a policy framework that is data-driven.
It said that a review of traffic accident statistics, be urgently undertaken to determine the range of causes for accidents and their relative contributions. These could include Speeding, Driver inattention, Driving under the influence, and pedestrian/animal/vehicle collisions.
The party also noted that safety audits must be conducted on major roads like Essequibo Coast Road, West Coast and West Bank Demerara Roads, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, East Coast Road, and the Corentyne Highway.
