Dear Editor,
I am a licensed vehicle driver who has been driving vehicles for 58 years and has driven on all our coastal roads, inclusive of the Linden Soesdyke Highway, Region One road at Mabaruma and 72 Miles Potaro road in Region 7. Most of the fatal accidents are caused by the excessive consumption of alcohol and inexperienced drivers. While strong winds, water and bumps can create problems, a vehicle driver must never relax while driving on our coastal roads, and should realize that one fatal accident would tarnish their image as a driver and blot their record for safe driving.
One of my hobbies on boarding a public transport vehicle is to offer 100 points to the driver as far as my destination. On August 14, 2015, I embarked on a No 22 bus BTT 2019 from Stabroek to Parika and offered the driver 100 points for good driving. At Parika he scored 100 points, much to the pleasure of his passengers.
As a former assistant stiller employed by the Bookers Estate of Uitvlugt at ADL Distillery, our still produced 250 gallons of 79 proof alcohol per hour. The 8000 gallons fermentation tank, tooks 72 pounds of sulphate amonia and 5 gals of sulphuric acid to ferment for 12 hours, being a mixture of 500 gals water to 100 gals of molasses. Alcohol consumption is forbidden in Islam. In the mid-eighties, I was in Moscow where the sale of vodka was restricted, even at government functions. In Cuba the sale of alcohol was not accessible during working hours.
I fully support the Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan to have the sale of alcohol cease at 2am.
He wants to protect us and save lives, so as such, we Hindus, Christians and Muslims must support this.
Yours faithfully,
Ishak Basir
