Dear Editor,
The great Chinese philosopher, Confucius, (551-479 bc) once declared: “The longest journey begins with the first step.” The decision by the Minister of National Security to have all night clubs close their doors at 2 am is just the first step in the right direction for a struggling nation.
By and large Guyanese have not cultivated any serious level of discipline, display little respect for time and have scant regard for a professional dress code. Social events are almost always, invariably engulfed in alcohol; indeed, liquor consummates all types of relationships in Guyana. It is the catalyst that creates the impetus for persons to discard reason and ignite haste and passions. It leads to disaster and hurt in all families.
But the Minister has stopped short, and seems to be sharpening only one side of his sword. There are other extremely serious issues governing the sale of alcohol and tobacco products. Here are some regulations that need to come into effect:
- No sale of alcohol on Sundays (before noon).
- No selling of alcohol and tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18.
- No liquor licence to be issued to premises close (200 yards) to schools.
- Heavy fines for anyone who sells alcohol and tobacco products to under-aged persons.
Additionally, there ought to be several different classes of driver’s licence. A licence to drive a minibus carries more responsibilities than driving your personal car. Peoples’ lives are entrusted to drivers of vehicles carrying passengers. The transportation of hazardous materials needs a higher level of testing before a commercial licence can be issued; the same with transporting logs or driving a bulldozer. The ‘next to nothing’ academic requirements plus a shoddy licensing process paves the way for needless accidents, not to mention the trivial fines imposed by the courts and the ‘other’ fines that drivers pay on the spot ‒ the so-called ‘pay here or pay dear,’ and ‘leff it or write it’ disease that intimidates drivers.
There are too many unnecessary, senseless deaths on Guyana’s roads directly as a consequence of improper licensing procedures.
The implementation of these regulations is just one small leap for Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine