Around 60 people being charged every week for traffic offences in Georgetown

Dec 12, 2024 News

---

—obscure licence plates, careless driving among offences

Kaieteur News-The Georgetown Magistrates’ Traffic Court has recorded an average of 60 persons being charged each week for various traffic offences within the Georgetown district.

The traffic court in Georgetown sits on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The most common offences being heard each week are: obscured licence plates, careless driving and dangerous driving.

The offence of having an obscured licence plate carries a maximum fine of $200,000, the same amount as for driving under the influence. During Wednesday’s court proceedings, eight new matters were called before Magistrate Shivani Lalaram. Three individuals were charged with careless driving and fined $25,000 each. One other defendant was charged with dangerous driving, failure to report an accident and failing to render assistance. This person was fined a total of $50,000—$30,000 for dangerous driving and $10,000 for each of the other offences.

According to court records, persons who are ordered to appear in court for ticketable offences, approximately only 70% typically show up. The remaining 30% have to be summoned and an arrest warrant is issued for those who fail to attend. The court also observed a higher number of traffic cases in November compared to December.

In a recent traffic enforcement exercise conducted along the Kitty Seawalls, police recorded 82 traffic violations on December 8, 2024. The operation, which focused on violations such as vehicles with coloured lights and heavily tinted windows, led to five arrests. Several vehicles were impounded, and fitness certificates were revoked. Regionally, police have recorded 42,000 traffic violations during the first week of December alone.

Late last month, President Irfaan Ali had directed the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to take immediate action to tackle various issues on the roadways, including speeding trucks, reckless driving, and drunk driving. His call had come amid a rash of tragic accidents. During a live broadcast, President Ali, accompanied by Police Commissioner (ag) Clifton Hicken, Deputy Police Commissioner Ravindradat Budhram, and Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh, outlined several measures to improve road safety. These include the use of body cameras for police officers to capture video evidence of traffic violations, enhanced CCTV surveillance to track reckless drivers, and stricter penalties for traffic infractions.

The Head-of-State emphasised the importance of holding all drivers accountable, particularly truck drivers, and urged the Attorney General to review current laws for potential gaps. “I have asked the Attorney General to examine the laws to see where there are gaps so that truck owners can also have the responsibility of ensuring their drivers work within guidelines,” the President stated. He further stressed that CCTV cameras would play a crucial role in identifying “errant drivers” who endanger the lives of others.

The President noted that existing laws already allow for the suspension of licences for specific traffic violations and promised full implementation. “Drivers on the whole, but especially those truck drivers, public transportation drivers, I am asking you, not to do anything special—all I am asking you to do in the interest of saving lives, is to comply with the law, comply with the rules,” Ali urged.

The issue of driving under the influence of alcohol also took centre stage during the broadcast. President Ali tasked the GPF with enforcing the law to its fullest extent, including holding bar owners accountable for serving alcohol to drivers. He called for bars to display clear signage about the law and warned that licences would be suspended for those who do not comply. “I require that the GPF implement the law to the maximum,” the President said, stressing the need for stricter enforcement to curb drunk driving.

In response to speeding, the President announced that the GPF would start publishing the names of drivers who exceed the speed limit more than three times and would suspend their licences for repeat offences. “They are now going to go through all the drivers because this public notice was there, and they will move in accordance with the law to have those licences suspended,” President Ali declared. He also revealed that, as of now, 893 speeding tickets have been issued on the New Heroes Highway alone, and the GPF would continue to crack down on violators. “We have to take these actions to save you. We have to take these actions to save you from yourselves because you put your life at risk and, in putting your life at risk, you are also putting the life of others at risk,” Ali had warned.

Hicken for his part had assured the public that the GPF would be stepping up efforts to address the issue. “We are going to double back and put all the mechanisms in place. Drivers, you are going to see us. We are going to be working with you,” Hicken said. He also announced plans to implement retraining for truck drivers to ensure safer practices on the roads. “Truck drivers, we are going to be coming after you. We are going to be putting you in order, and we are going to have retraining,” he stated.

(Around 60 people being charged every week for traffic offences in Georgetown)

---

• careless driving, charged, obscured licence plates, traffic court

---