The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have agreed to launch a six-month-long public relations campaign aimed at owners and operators of heavy-duty machinery in order to prevent continuing damage and obstruction of public roads across the country.
According to a MoPI press release, at the end of the six-month campaign, those owners and operators of heavy-duty machines who are found culpable of damaging roads will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. It also warned that in the interim, those farmers and owners of heavy-duty machinery who are found blatantly destroying public roads with their heavy-duty equipment would not be ignored.
The release said the new campaign was one of the decisions that were agreed when a delegation from the ministry met with Police Commissioner Leslie James and Traffic Chief Linden Isles to discuss a plan of action to address the damage and obstruction of the roadways by heavy-duty machines.
The ministry’s delegation comprised Patrick Thompson, Chief Transport Planning Officer, Kester Hinds, Manager -Traffic/Safety/Maintenance, Dr. Sewnauth Punalall, Coordinator, National Taskforce Commission, and Andrew Weekes, Public Communications Officer.
The release said the ministry has made several attempts over the years to curb the the damage caused to public roads by operators of heavy duty machinery but the blatant disregard by many has continued.
It was noted that James advised that while the GPF can arrest and prosecute those who fail to adhere to laws, careful consideration should be taken in addressing the matter.
As a result, the release said it was agreed that the public relations campaign, which will run from March 8th to September 9th, 2019, would be launched to educate farmers and owners of heavy-duty machinery about the dangers of leaving their equipment on the roadways, including accidents and fatalities, as well as about the damage they cause to the roadways. Following the campaign, prosecutions would begin.
Additionally, sensitisation meetings are to be held between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Guyana Rice Development Board, the Farmers Association of Guyana and the Guyana Rice Producers Association, and Town Hall meetings are to be held in regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six.
The release said James also granted permission for the ministry to meet with Divisional Commanders within the regions to educate them about the dangers posed by heavy-duty machinery on public roads and enlist their help to educate farmers and other operators.
The release also said the importers of heavy-duty machinery must also provide to buyers a toolkit which will allow farmers to attach safety mechanisms (tyres) to the wheels of those machines to prevent damage to public roads.
