Dear Editor,
Drivers across the country continue to be victimised by traffic ranks of the Guyana Police Force especially in Regions Five and Six. It should be noted that roads in Guyana like most countries have a legally assigned numerical speed limit that applies to both urban and rural roads. As such speed limits enforcement is the action taken by the appropriate empowered authority, the Guyana Police Force to ensure that vehicles comply with the legal speed limits. The methods used to enforce speed limits have always been controversial and even more so in Guyana.
In most countries speed limit signs display the limitation using black text within a red circle with a white background. This design follows the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. On the 25th September 2008, Guyana assented to this UN convention but failed to comply in the erection of speed limits signs across the country. The Government through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is mandated to ensure that drivers are safe and do not exceed the legal speed limits. Based on the UN Convention it is absolutely necessary to ensure there is proper installation of road signs along the roadways in Guyana especially when there is a change of the speed limits on the roads.
It is evident that drivers are being charged for exceeding speed limits when there are no speed limit signs, this is a clear violation of the rights of the drivers and should be corrected immediately by the relevant authorities.
Presently there are advertising signs erected by Pepsi etc to guide you with the names of villages and at the bottom of these signs there is a small indication of the speed limit. This is not legal based on the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and as such traffic officers should stop this unnecessary victimisation until proper, visible signs are erected to display speed limits on the roads.
I am absolutely convinced that Region Five and Six drivers have the most traffic charges in the entire country on a yearly basis. This adds to the constant burdens that are now imposed on drivers. Finally, traffic officers issue speeding tickets if you exceed the speed limits by even one km per hour which is definitely unreasonable and provision should be made to ensure a 5-10 km per hour flexible range to ease unconscionable burdens on drivers and help in the elimination of corruption by traffic ranks.
Yours faithfully,
Zamal Hussain
