The PNCR yesterday said that it could not support the AFC’s call to reinstate the 2 am curfew as it is not convinced that the road accident crisis can be resolved by merely one measure.
In a statement yesterday the Opposition party said that it noted media reports that quote the Alliance For Change (AFC), in the person of its former Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, as saying that the 2 am curfew should be re-instated as a measure to reduce road accidents and fatalities.
However, it said that “without any empirical data or statistical analysis, the PNCR cannot support the AFC’s proposal.”
“Moreover, the PNCR is convinced that the road accident crisis cannot be resolved by merely one measure. It requires a holistic and data-driven approach, with continuous monitoring.”
As such it outlined its framework for reducing road accidents and fatalities, which it said was announced at its press conference on 19th July 2024.
“As with most Guyanese, we, in the Opposition, are alarmed over the sharp rise in road accidents, injuries and deaths. This carnage has engulfed all our highways and all types of road users and vehicles: from pedestrians and motorcycles to cars, buses, and trucks.”
According to them, the “government’s response to date has not inspired any public confidence. This is a national crisis that requires urgent and robust government responses. We, in the Opposition, therefore, call on the government to, at minimum, take the following advice: 1. Addressing congestion and road deaths needs to be tackled within a policy framework that is data-driven.”
It called for a review of traffic accident statistics to be urgently undertaken to determine the range of causes for accidents and their relative contributions. “These could include speeding, driver inattention, driving under the influence, animal/vehicle conflict, pedestrian/vehicle conflict, fixed object crashes and intersection crashes.”
As such the PNCR noted that safety audits must be conducted on major roads like Essequibo Coast Road, West Coast and West Bank Demerara Roads, Linden-Soesdyke Highway, East Coast Road, and the Corentyne Highway.
Design elements
“As part of this audit, all substandard design elements that contribute to reducing the safety of the roadway must be identified. Such elements could include rideability (the state of the surface of the road, e.g. the Soesdyke/Linden Highway which is now difficult to traverse), proximity of fixed objects to the carriageway, passing sight distances, and roadway turn design. This audit will allow us to direct the necessary funding to improve safety in a data driven and targeted manner. We need to end government issuing of contracts to build roads just for the sake of putting money in the hands of their cronies.”
Furthermore, it pushed for robust education and enforcement programmes to become a norm. “We too regularly after accidents become involved in campaigns which do not last long and are ineffective. As the next government we are already preparing a more comprehensive road safety and traffic management plan with the assistance of road and transportation engineers”, the statement said.
Meanwhile, Berbice activist, Gobin Harbhajan, a former Prime Minister’s Representative for Moses Nagamootoo yesterday slammed the AFC for floating the possibility of reinstating the 2 am curfew, which Harbhajan said would be interfering with the rights of citizens.
Harbhajan yesterday lashed out at Ramjattan calling the idea senseless while stressing “curfew don’t solve accident problem on our public road.”
He stated, “Putting a curfew will put more room for corruption with police involved in executing curfew, we all know our police force is not A1 at this time. government is working tirelessly to get that fixed.”
According to Harbhajan, Nigel Hughes, the newly appointed leader of AFC “should have worked towards with the government implementing more CCTV cameras, enforce the drinking and driving laws in this country, work with government to work along with commissioner of police to make sure drivers pay the heftiest fine for drinking and driving.”
He pointed out that the majority of the population should not have to “suffer” with a curfew because of a few who refuse to adhere to the laws. “That’s not what democracy is; you can’t take away people freedom.”
Harbhajan, a former AFC member, pointed out that during his time in government between 2015 – 2020 he repeatedly attempted to seek the assistance of Ramjattan who was then Minister of Public Security to remove derelict vehicles from the roadway. “I was trying to get all remove off the public road which was very dangerous for motorists, pedestrians and also would have been part of accidents when people swerve from animals.”
The Berbice activist then questioned “what did he (Ramjattan) do then? Now Guyana is drawing worldwide attention, people coming from all parts of the world, we have stadium going up with international cricket going on, CPL, people coming from other countries as a recreation and vacation, who are we to deprive them to stay out at 2 in the morning?”
He stressed once the laws are followed people should be allowed to be out in the morning hours, “this curfew is hogwash what the AFC is pushing.”
Harbhajan then advised, “Nigel Hughes as the leader should focus on more things which will benefit Guyanese… What nonsense is this? I don’t know since when curfew will prevent accidents from happening in this country? Most of the AFC executive members have seats in parliament and this is the best they can come up with to prevent accidents on the roadway? he asked.
