Dear Editor,
Sometime around the latter part of July I read an announcement about a “Respect the Road” Campaign by the police in collaboration with the Guyana Road Safety Council. Yesterday, somewhere around Turkeyen, on the East Coast Road, I spotted the first sign related to the Campaign theme, so I have to assume that this very significant and important event has been quietly launched without the fanfare of trumpeters and drum rolls it deserves. The first billboard I saw was a great disappointment in terms of impact. Traveling west on the road in question I spotted in bold black letters the word ROAD, a closer look revealed its full statement ‘Respect the’ (Smaller red letters) was just above ‘Road’. I made a U turn to examine it better and then saw a picture of a car wreck with the words over it and much less visible “Do Not Drink and Drive”. Editor, from a layout and design point of view, the primary message took second place to the campaign slogan, which in my opinion, is lost on the intended target, if at all noticed.
In addition, the billboard was far too overloaded with information to be easily read by fast moving highway traffic. That technical but important point aside, I would have thought that given the significance of this campaign, and the very good reasons which justified it, the campaign would have deserved much greater thought and detail to attention by its organizers to create the optimum attention and impact. The ‘Respect the Road’ campaign demands and requires all those responsible and related agencies and companies to join together in a well-organized pre-campaign blitz detailing its objectives and methods to achieve success. As part and parcel of the blitz, I would have organized a police motorcade in all regions with appropriate props such as banners, placards, and a wreck or two to emphasize the point. All these strategies can be supported by stakeholders who are primary beneficiaries. All billboards and supportive promotions would hit the road overnight along with a well-organized and highly visible police road campaign to send signals and warn all drivers that this campaign is a no-nonsense, low tolerance one.
Sponsored printed handouts by insurance companies and other stakeholders etc., outlining the clear objectives which the public are expected to conform to in order to achieve the required results. Phase two and three to the campaign must also be a part of the overall plan. The entire exercise should also be regularly monitored and tweaked if necessary then finally culminate with an analysis of its overall impact and success. As a nation on the rise, we must comply with the correct order and way in which things are done. If the campaign is just another spending spree where the only benefactors are those contractors and suppliers to it, then we cannot expect a successful outcome and in such a case, myself and other Guyanese, who will be footing the bill will have every right to object and demand that our money is spent in ways that achieve the desired results.
Sincerely,
B A. Ramsay