A “new component of safety” will be added to the country’s roads with the approval of legislation that will see the appointments of traffic wardens to police areas in Georgetown and dangerous stretches of country roads, Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee says.
Rohee piloted the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2011 through the House on Thursday night and said that the new wardens will allow members of the understaffed Guyana Police Force to focus their energies on more pressing matters. He emphasised, however, that the wardens will not replace regular traffic ranks on the road. The law is aimed at finding a solution to the larger problem of safety on the roads, he said.
The Bill was passed with the support of all the parties though some concern was expressed by speakers from the opposition PNCR-1G and the AFC in relation to corruption.
The amendments, when signed into law by the President, will see the appointments of traffic wardens to issue tickets and perform other traffic policing duties. It empowers the Commissioner of Police with the approval of the Minister to appoint a person as a traffic warden.
The functions of a traffic warden, the bill’s explanatory memorandum says, are to assist members of the Police Force in the control and regulation of traffic and in the enforcement of the law relating to road traffic. A traffic warden, it adds, may issue traffic tickets and perform duties similar to that of a member of the Police Force.
The bill also sets a $30,000 penalty and a six-month period of imprisonment for any person who is convicted of failing to comply with the directions given by a traffic warden, obstructs a traffic warden in the execution of duty, or incites others to do the same.
This bill comes in the wake of a spate of recent fatal accidents on the country’s road ways. Recently the presidential candidate of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) David Granger had accused the PPP/C administration of incompetence in ensuring road safety. The Home Affairs Ministry, however, has said that the police force has managed to reduce the road death rate, which is lower than the average in both low-income and middle-income countries. The ministry said that road deaths are down by 17.4 percent since 2007.
In the National Assembly on Thursday, PNCR Parliamentarian, Basil Williams said that the step should have been taken a long time ago. Citing recent accidents, he urged that something be done to rein in errant minibus operators. “Something is wrong with the culture of our minibus drivers on the road,” he observed. Transport Minister, Robeson Benn in response, said that the issue with minibuses has a lot to do with self-regulation.
AFC MP Shelia Holder, in her presentation, asked whether the introduction of wardens will improve the problems on the road. She referred to the issue of corruption: police taking bribes; the failure of government to properly regulate the minibus sector; the lack of enforcement of traffic laws and the conflict of interest with policemen owning minibuses. She also asked about the remuneration of the wardens.
PNCR Parliamentarian, Deborah Backer asked why the Commissioner of Police has to give the names to the Minister for approval. She also asked when the wardens will be seen on the roads and advocated a public information campaign.
In wrapping up debate, Rohee urged that the Bill be given a change to succeed. He said that it is quite possible that there will be a pilot of the programme and there will be a public information programme. He said that the city will be the focal point of attention but they will also look at placing wardens at dangerous stretches of country roads. He said that 100 wardens will be recruited in the first stage and it has been proposed that wardens will be paid $52,353 per month in line with starting salary in the police force.
