‘Operation Safeway’ nets over 1000 traffic offences in a week

Sep 23, 2016 News

One week since the launch of Operation Safeway, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has made over 1000 cases against motorists breaching the traffic laws.
Two Wednesdays ago, the Police Traffic Department embarked on a campaign to reduce the carnage on the country’s roadways.
As a result of this undertaking, a number of exercises were put in place to educate citizens about the necessity of heeding road laws.
The police continued to drop the heavy hand of the law on traffic offenders resulting in road users being prosecuted for traffic offences.
Driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding are the most prevalent of traffic offences. Fifty seven persons have since been arrested for driving above the prescribed alcohol limit while over 400 persons for speeding.
Operation Safeway was launched in an attempt to clamp down on drunk, speeding and reckless drivers as it intends to counter the mounting road accidents that have resulted in fatalities.
As part of the operation, traffic ranks can be seen on the road conducting rigid exercises throughout the country with the main areas of focus being in Georgetown, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and East Coast Demerara (ECD).
There has been an increase in patrols during the day and night, random breathalyzer testing and in the use of radar guns.
For the year already, 98 persons have lost their lives as a result of road carnage.
Traffic Chief, Dion Moore said that majority of the arrests were made in A Division. There has only been one case of road fatality which resulted in two deaths at Unity, Mahaicony. The driver involved in that accident, has been charged.
While there is no cut-off date for Operation Safeway, the Traffic Chief indicated that the aim is to have more road safety consciousness, to promote better driving attitudes and road safety practices.
Meanwhile, Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine recently commented that the rates at which people are killed on the roadways is unacceptable, disturbing and of grave concern especially since Guyana is a small developing country.
“It is clear to us that while we in the force are continuing to do so much, there is a need for the driving population to have their own concerns awakened in this respect. As we see it, there is a very high degree of callousness regarding the attitude towards other road users, pedestrians in particular,” Ramnarine said.