During a stakeholders’ consultation meeting on road safety on Wednesday, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan told the Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) that the current administration will fully support its efforts to promote road safety in Guyana.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Public Security, since the advent of the GNRSC in the period of 2006/7, there has been a significant decrease in the number of road fatalities. It cited statistics showing that fatalities were pegged at 182 in 2005 but dropped to 113 in 2008. It added that the figure stayed in that realm until 2014, when the number of fatalities was significantly reduced to 100, the release said.
Currently, the GNRSC receives a subvention of $3.5 million but Ramjattan was reported as saying that the government will seek every effort to ensure that the figure is increased, “because I have noticed that your presence in this sector has managed to ensure a reduction as compared with the years that you were not there.”
In addition, he said he is collaborating with the Public Infrastructure Ministry in relation to the GNRSC’s building request and regarding the promise of realising the reduction of fatalities by 50%.
Ramjattan told the GNRSC members, “I promise to deliver on the request that was made for space, (a research library, a data collection laboratory and a networking capacity). Of course, it will take some time but for your good work you deserve it.”
Ramjattan also said GNRSC can play a “major role” in the government’s 100-day plan to implement a task force on the reduction of crime and road fatalities.
GNRSC according to the release, has been conducting many educational activities countrywide, and painting pedestrians crossings, among other works, as a part of its mandate.