quote:

Originally posted by Cher:
Senseless Deaths

Indeed Cher, and the rulers continue to fiddle while Rome burns. From their ivory towers they are completely out of touch what the ordinary person faces on our roads.

Of course, a Government cannot do everything, but if you read my initial post on this thread, you will see some very doable solutions that would go a far way to lessening these senseless deaths.

Without solutions, thats in the rule book in order to get your lic. simple rules of the road...but Guyanese peeps on the whole feels that they know everything! ..sad real sad!

Boy, 17, killed in Patentia car crash - Sister witnesses horrific episode
AUGUST 24, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

A 17-year-old who was struck down in front of his Patentia, West Bank Demerara home on Monday evening died moments later while receiving treatment at the West Demerara Regional Hospital. According to reports, Nicholas Jabar of Patentia Housing Scheme, died sometime around 21:00 hours after being struck down by a speeding car.


Dead: Nicholas Jabar

The dead teen’s father, Fazal Jabar, told this publication that he was sitting in front of his property with one of his daughters when he saw his son come out of a minibus. According to Jabar, the car was heading towards the Demerara Harbour Bridge when it struck his son. “They had a big crowd on the road because the Temple had a function and they had cars parked on the road, too, and he (the driver) come speeding and knock me son who was already on the parapet.”

Jabar said while sitting on the bench his daughter had indicated to him that his son had reached home. “I look over the road and see my son waiting to cross the road, so I turned around to do something and I hear a crash…and me daughter say daddy is Nicholas get knock down.” The father of seven said he began running towards his son who was hurled several feet into the air before he landed some distance away. “My daughter started to scream and running towards she brother and when we reach he just covered in blood and the car was going to drive away,”

The man said residents ran behind the car and calling for the driver to stop as it appeared as if the driver was contemplating to flee the scene. “He drive and stop and then driving again and is till by the Estate house he stop after some boy run to the car and scramble the keys away from he (the driver).” Fazal Jabar said he immediately placed his son into the same car and ordered the driver to take them to the hospital. According to Jabar, his son received extensive injuries to his body and died while they were awaiting an x-ray.

Fighting to hold back tears, the father lamented the fact that he was waiting to greet his son but instead partially witnessed his demise. “Imagine me just see me son on he way home and couple minutes later he dead.” The man said his son would have celebrated his 18th birthday next Monday. In addition, Jabar opined that no justice will be served in this matter given the way the local justice system operates. He expressed the view that the driver who is responsible for his son’s death will get bail on his first court appearance and the matter will be prolonged in the court. “There is no justice; the man gon get bail and while the matter going on in the court he (the driver) will be driving still and years will pass and he will get off because of the amount of cases they have in our courts.”

The man said another relative of his was killed in an accident and six years after the family is still waiting for the matter to be heard and completed. Meanwhile the driver of the car involved in the accident has since been taken into police custody to assist with investigation.

Source

Driver of vehicle asks home owner “who is going to fix my car?” Car crashing into Bagotstown house…
AUGUST 21, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

Robin Persaud, the driver of the burgundy motorcar, PJJ 6704 which flew through the air into Lot 35, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara (EBD) is to attend court tomorrow. He is still in police custody at the Providence Police Station. Early Friday morning a family of three got the shock of their lives when a car smashed into the upper flat of their two-storey house. At the time four persons were in the vehicle.


A ladder that is being used in space of the inside step to gain access to the upper flat of the building, while in the background plywood is being used to cover the gaping hole made by the car in the wall.

Faizal Razack, who lives in the house, told this publication that relatives of the driver visited his home on the day of the accident and related that they would facilitate repair works that are needed for his house. However, when Razack sourced a carpenter to assess the damages, an estimate of $1.3M was given to fully refurbish his home along with replacing the electrical appliances that were damaged. Razack visited the driver of the car at the Providence Police Station and related what the carpenter had told him. “The man said that instead of paying that amount which is like building over a new house, he rather go to court and pay a fine.” The frustrated Razack said he then realized that the man was not going to assist in repairing his home. “This man ask me who is going to fix his car!”

Explaining that he used plyboards to block the gaping hole in his house, Razack said that the structure is now less secure and the building has been tilted since the force of the crash shifted the foundation columns of his brick and wooden house. Adding that the internal step in his house was also damaged forcing him to use a ladder to gain access to the upper flat, Razack said all this discomfort was caused by the driver who appears unwilling to assist after learning the price of the damage that was done.

Last Friday morning’s dramatic occurrence resulted in pipelines being severed, a chain-link fence and one made of concrete damaged, and a wall of the concrete and wooden house being totally obliterated along with other items inside the home.

Source



Source

The issuing of drivers’ licences should be removed from the purview of the police
By STABROEK STAFF | LETTERS | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2011

Dear Editor,

This year on May 13, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the Decade of Action for Road Safety, and we had our local launch with the usual speeches and blabbering about what government is doing, but we never heard about what they are not doing, which are the things usually required to ensure success in programmes and policies. Guyanese need to know that Guyana has one of the highest road fatality rates in this part of the world and this seems to be increasing every year. With the increase in vehicles there needs to be an increase in the number of traffic officers who are not just driving around in $4million dollar vehicles, but conduct regular checks and establish checkpoints on a daily basis at peak hours. According to a 2007 WHO report on Guyana, the enforcement rate for the speed limit is 4 out of 10, and it also states that formal audits are required for major new road construction projects.

The Minister fails to finger the ranks of the police force who are selling drivers‘ licences, moreso to persons who have not participated in the driver‘s practical test. There has been a failure to acknowledge this weakness in this corrupt system where there seems to be no intention to change the way licences are issued. Officials who travel in fancy vehicles with chauffeurs fail to acknowledge the deplorable state of our roads which are patched ever so often, and more recently potholes the size of a regular car tyre have been opening up all around the city. There are those on the UG road, one in the middle of the road over the bridge, and two on the left side of the road when heading to the seawall. On a narrow strip of road like this, if at any time two vehicles are passing each other and pedestrians are walking on both sides, a driver who is conscious of the cost of tyres might swerve to avoid a hole and in the process hit a pedestrian.

This is just one example of how the entire system including contractors is to be blamed and should be held accountable. Just recently I bought a car and was on my way to Parika, a place I don’t frequent, and was unaware that the stretch in the vicinity of Puran Brothers disposal is full of potholes, and so fell in a deep hole that damaged my car rim as well as the brand new tyres I had just bought. Road safety is not about just having a bunch of volunteers to advocate for road safety as the President dreams about; it‘s about fixing all the systems including ensuring the roads are built according to specifications, and that drivers pass through the system and acquire their licences the legal way.

I would like to suggest that the issuance of drivers‘ licences be removed from the purview of the police and shifted to the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Transport who in issuing licences can check on the ability, eyesight, etc, of a person before they are allowed to drive. In addition they should issue plastic electronically-made drivers‘ licences similar to the national ID cards. More than this, the Ministry of Transport needs to continuously carry out roadworks to fill the potholes on major roads like UG road to ensure that they do not remain for prolonged periods. These are not only dangerous to drivers but also cost the average person money for maintenance.

I do hope that with the observance of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety a national dialogue can take place on improving and reviewing existing traffic laws, as I am of the opinion that the penalties that exist are too low.

Yours faithfully,
Sunil Singh

Source

Runaway truck!
AUGUST 25, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS


This truck that was heading toward the city ran off the road into a fence in Herstelling, completely destroying a utility pole in the process.

Source

Traffic light damage continues
Written by Demerara Waves Thursday, 25 August 2011 10:40


Pic by Sherod Duncan

Millions of dollars in damage and destruction to traffic lights continue to be incurred, the latest being on Mandela Avenue near Plaza Bridge on Thursday. No one was injured in the accident, according to Citizen Reporter, Sherod Duncan.

Police were on the scene probing how it occurred. Technicians were also there, assessing the damage to the equipment. The control-box and solar panels for the traffic lights were uprooted by the vehicle. Only lights on the nothern side of the junction were working. Between 2007 and 2010, authorities registered GUY$9 million in damage to the lights. Part of the damage has been also attributed to vandalism by mentally ill persons and junkies seeking scrap metal for sale.

After decades of Georgetown being without traffic lights, government secured a US$2.1 million line of credit and purchased the lights not only for central Georgetown but also for a number of areas on the outskirts.

Source

While no Government is held accountable for road accidents, this Gov't bears much responsibility because of its continued refusal to deal with some of the obvious issues - such as the buying of drivers licences. This inaction makes the traffic situation in Guyana worse than it should be.

Road signs should be restored
By STABROEK STAFF | LETTERS | THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011

Dear Editor,

The recent move by the President and the Home Affairs Minister to reach youth and drivers in Guyana to deal with the ever increasing traffic problem is a welcome move, but has me thinking if it’s an election gimmick or if they are really serious. It seems to me that road accidents take more lives than execution-style killings in Guyana, although people don’t seem to take them seriously and government doesn’t seem bothered unless there is big public outcry. There are a lot of traffic issues which could be dealt with and could help avoid accidents, and there are some preventative measures which could be undertaken supported by government, but sadly, these have not materialized.

Drivers in Guyana could be heard complaining about vehicles not stopping at a junction or they blame one another when an accident happens. Throughout this country for a long time now all signs showing one-ways, where to overtake, speed limits, etc, have ceased to exist and no one talks of restoring them. I strongly believe that if these signs were there, accidents could be greatly reduced.

Finally, Editor, I wholeheartedly support Mr Sunil Singh’s letter ‘The issuing of drivers’ licences should be removed from the purview of the police‘ in Stabroek News of August 23, because again I believe that we are not getting service from the Guyana Police Force; the evidence is only of corruption and victimization.

It seems also as if they have too many issues to deal with that cause our roadways to become killing fields for reckless and unqualified drivers who obtain their licences by questionable means.

Yours faithfully,
Sahadeo Bates

Source

Gerald boy you aint have blasted work to do? who wants to see accidents daily what are you now a traffic reporter?

Who will repair damaged house?
By STABROEK STAFF | LETTERS | THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011

Dear Editor,

On Friday, August 19 a car probably using benzene flew off the East Bank Demerara road into a dwelling house in Bagotstown. The occupants of the house were saying their morning prayers and by divine intervention no one in the damaged house was hurt.

Of course the occupants of the house are not in the least bit responsible for what happened to their home, and the big question is who will repair damaged house to the satisfaction of the family living there. I do hope the authorities will see to it that the house will be repaired quickly and the owner(s) will not have to find an expensive lawyer to get justice.

Yours faithfully,
W P George

Source

What next are you going to post a picture of a damn stop sign?

Why are these PPP types so defensive, looks like dem worry about the AFC listening to the ordinary folks in GY.

Collision
By STABROEK STAFF | PHOTOS | THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011


Collision: Two vehicles were involved in an early morning accident on Tuesday, at the junction of Robb and Camp streets. The minibus seen in this photo was proceeding south along Camp Street and a car was going east along Robb when they collided. The car spun out of control on Robb Street and collided with a parked SUV which was also damaged. No one was hurt.

Source

Several injured in separate accidents
By STABROEK STAFF | LOCAL | SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011

Several persons sustained mostly minor injuries yesterday in two separate accidents on the East Coast and West Bank of Demerara. The first accident occurred some time around 10.30 am, and involved S Dhaas, 54, and his boss Neil Bhir. According to Dhaas, he and his boss were in a minibus on the East Bank road, when the incident occurred. He said he could not remember what happened or at what point on the Bank they were at the time of the accident, but he sustained injuries to the head, a punctured right cheek and right arm, and injuries to his right shoulder. His boss was taken into the Accident and Emergency Unit and his condition was listed as stable.

The second accident took place some time between 10 and 11 am in the vicinity of Foulis and Paradise, East Coast Demerara. According to Joseph Nelson, 40, he along with his colleague Arlington Luke Junior (the driver) and the latter’s boss Mark Parsram were on their way to Georgetown in a van when the accident occurred. Nelson related that he was sitting behind the driver’s seat reading a newspaper, when “I jus feel a sway and the bus start to topple.” The man said that it was only afterwards when he had exited the vehicle that he realized that they had collided with a minibus headed in the opposite direction.

Parsram, a GuySuCo worker, related that he and his employee were on their way down to Georgetown from Drill, Mahaicony transporting fuel. They had picked up Nelson on the way down. Parsram who was sitting in the front passenger seat of the van said that he was on his phone texting, and as such he did not know “who hit who” in the accident. Both men said they had no idea what speed Luke was going at. Both he and Nelson sustained minor abrasions and were treated and sent away. Luke on the other hand was taken to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital and up to press time was listed as being in a stable condition. He sustained injuries to the head, neck, and arm.

Source

Careless and dangerous driving and speeding
By STABROEK STAFF | FEATURES, SUNDAY | SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011

Most motorists who have encounters with members of the Police Force are familiar with the “routine” stops conducted by Traffic ranks, who examine your driver’s licence, insurance, fitness, and road licence to ensure that you are compliant with the various statutory requirements. Equally familiar is the sight of the rank standing in an unobtrusive area at the side of the highway armed with speed-radar, stopping vehicles which the radar indicates have been exceeding the speed limit. Often, defaulting motorists have been rounded up and carted off to the police station, where they have undergone the inconvenience and embarrassment of being processed and charged (and sometimes have been required to pay station bail) for the purposes of prosecuting the offence.

As discussed previously, if a member of the Force observes the motorist committing an offence, he is empowered to arrest that motorist. For that reason, the officer may in his discretion arrest a motorist who refuses or fails to produce his valid driver’s licence upon request or refuses to declare upon request to that officer his present address. Similarly, a motorist who fails to keep his vehicle on the left side of the road when being overtaken, or who overtakes on the left side of the road may be arrested without a warrant by the member of the Police Force in whose view this offence is committed. These examples are of course not exhaustive.

Careless and dangerous driving are summary offences created under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act. The Act contains the provision that “Any member of the police force may arrest without warrant the driver of any motor vehicle who within his view commits… reckless or dangerous driving or careless driving, unless the driver either gives his name and address or produces his licence for examination.“ The obvious inference to be drawn from this provision is that the officer may not arrest the driver for reckless or careless driving if the driver produces his licence or gives his name and address. However, that inference is contradictory to the Police Act, which permits an arrest by the member of the Force for any offence committed in his view.

A consideration of the nature of the offences of dangerous and careless driving may provide the answer. The essential ingredient in these offences is the state of mind of the driver, whether he has departed from the standard of a reasonable, prudent, competent and experienced driver. A driver who changes the CD or radio station in his vehicle, or lights a cigarette, while driving may or may not carry out that distracting activity in such a way that his driving becomes careless or dangerous. However, if he stays in his lane, does not swerve or veer off or ‘jump‘ a traffic light, it is impossible for a person watching that driver to definitively conclude that he has stopped paying attention to his driving to an extent that is careless or dangerous. That is a conclusion which is subjective – made in the opinion of the observer, who can at best say that what he saw leads him to reasonably suspect that there was carelessness.

For that reason, it would seem that an arrest without a warrant should not be made for the summary offences of careless or dangerous driving unless there is some other, specific offence committed in the view of the arresting officer which would entitle him to make an arrest under the general powers of arrest in the Police Act.

The Bar Association has written to the Guyana Police Force to inquire whether there are in existence internal police policy rules governing the conduct of its members in respect of charges against motorists for careless or dangerous driving. It is the ultimate objective of any regulatory or advisory institution in the society to promote easy and smooth interaction by members of the society, and a clear guideline for members of the public and of the Force allows for mutuality of respect and conformity to the law.

Source

Don’t make our roads a battlefield - Enterprise road safety assoc. head
AUGUST 30, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

President of the Enterprise Road Safety Association Chandrapaul Persaud is appealing to drivers, especially on the East Coast of Demerara, not to make the roads a battlefield. The appeal comes less than a week before school reopens for the new academic year. As part of their civic duty to keep the roads safe, Persaud and members of his organization on Sunday repainted several road signs along the main east coast carriageway, mostly in the school-dominated areas.

The sign painting exercise has become an annual one for the Enterprise Road Safety Association, and in conjunction with the ‘C’ Division (East Coast) Police Traffic Department, they hope to ensure that the East Coast Demerara roads are the safest in the country. The exercise commenced last week and will conclude this coming weekend and Persaud is optimistic that it will not be one in futility.


Members of the Enterprise Road Safety Association repaint a pedestrian crossing at Annandale, East Coast Demerara.

“We need all the children and other road users to comply. I am also calling on the police force, on the East Coast to enforce the law,” Persaud stated. He lamented the wanton loss of lives on Guyana’s roads, noting that the attitudes of many operators of both private and public vehicles need to be drastically altered. “I am calling on the drivers, not to make this road a battlefield. Make this road a safe one for the commuters. In another two weeks, we will see all the schoolchildren back on the roads and drivers need to be very careful,” the Enterprise Road Safety Association President said. He also appealed for the ceasing of drinking and driving on the roads, especially in light of the many entertainment activities that have permeated the country in recent months.

Source

Berbice cops in late night patrol for drunk drivers
By STABROEK STAFF | LOCAL | TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

The Guyana Police Force’s (GPF), ‘B’ Division has organized a late night patrol programme aimed at intercepting persons who drive under the influence of alcohol. This is according to Commander of the division, Steve Merai, who was at the time speaking at a forum organised by the GPF, the National Road Safety Council (NRSC) and the Home Affairs Ministry in the West Berbice area over the weekend. The aim of the forum, which was attended by taxi and minibus drivers, was the establishment of a road safety association.

According to a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Merai lamented that many minibus drivers are using the roadways carelessly by speeding, particularly at peak hours in the afternoon. According to GINA, during the discussion, drivers raised several concerns, which include the presence of stray animals and paddy drying and derelict vehicles among other encumbrances on the roadways. As regards the establishment of a bus stop for Route 50 buses, Works Ministry engineer, Nigel Erskine stated that when a bus stop for the Route 56 buses was identified last year, a technical study determined that similar activities could be undertaken to identify spots for other routes.

At the conclusion of the session, GINA noted, a steering committee was formed and the body will in turn work towards the establishment of a road safety association. Members of the committee include, Rawana Ally, Dennis Chesney, Boodram Rampersaud, Hassan Ullah, Dianand Persaud, Inspector Boodram Persaud and Dennis Pompey of the Home Affairs Ministry.

Source

Canal farmer dies after run over by vehicle
By STABROEK STAFF | LOCAL | TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011

A farmer was on Sunday night killed at Canal No. 2 Polder, West Bank Demerara, after he was run over by a motor vehicle. The driver has since been convicted of driving under the influence and is assisting the police in their investigations into the death of the farmer. Dead is Deonauth Seegobin, known as `Cantarak’, of Lot 9 South Section, Canal No.2 Polder, West Bank Demerara.

Police in a release stated that at around 10:15pm Seegobin, 45, was allegedly lying on the roadway when he was run over. The release said that he was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The farmer’s brother, Doodnauth, related to Stabroek News yesterday that he and Seegobin along with the driver of the vehicle and others were at a birthday party in a nearby shop consuming alcohol, and Seegobin was the first to leave the gathering. Doodnauth continued that soon after the driver of the vehicle, who according to him was “drunk”, followed behind in his vehicle and struck his brother down as he was walking along the road.

According to eyewitnesses after Seegobin was run-over, the driver failed to stop and render assistance. Instead they related that he headed in the direction of the lower conservancy where he was later caught by public-spirited citizens who had followed and caught up with him and alerted the police about his whereabouts. A post-mortem examination is scheduled to be performed on Seegobin’s body tomorrow.

Meanwhile the driver yesterday appeared at the Wales Magistrates’ Court where he was charged with driving under the influence. The allegation against the 37-year-old taxi driver is that at Canal No. 2 Access Road he drove motor car HB 9286 while his alcohol level exceeded the prescribed limit, that is to say he had .060% alcohol in his blood. The driver pleaded guilty to the charge which was read to him by the magistrate and he was fined $7,500 or three weeks imprisonment. The defendant paid the fine, but was taken back into police custody pending investigations into Seegobin’s death.

Stabroek News

Kaieteur News

Muted Eid for family whose house damaged by car
By STABROEK STAFF | LOCAL | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2011

As Muslims across Guyana celebrate Eid ul-Fitr today, visiting friends and participating in communal festivities, the Razzacks, whose home was severely damaged when a car crashed into the second flat of their Bagotstown home on August 19th last, will spend most of their day trying to rebuild the fence of the property. The Razzacks, during an interview with SN yesterday, explained that before the holy month of Ramadan began they had decided that they would have had a huge celebration this Eid.


Aleema Razzack and daughter

Aleema Razzack, the wife of Faizul Razzack explained that on the Wednesday before the incident occurred she had planned with another relative to go purchasing curtains for her home. She said, while pointing to the destruction, “only the day before me and my sister-in-law say we will go to buy blinds the Friday and look what happened on that Friday?” She added “you know we don’t celebrate Christmas as such Eid is our Christmas and we had big plans for Eid celebrations this year. I had already purchased many of the ingredients to cook up big and invite friends over, now when I look at the place I’m not encouraged to do anything.”


A relative of the Razzacks removing debris from the fence in preparation for work to be done tomorrow.

She stated however that she did not let the damage “dampen” her spirits too much. As such, on Sunday she prepared sweetmeats and purchased new outfits for her family to wear for Eid ceremonies at the nearby Mosque since she thought that the moon would be sighted and Eid would be celebrated on Monday. She added that she will also still give eidis (gifts given on Eid) to her daughter and other immediate relatives and will share sweetmeats prepared with her neighbours and friends. She said she was thankful that she is alive and will be anxiously anticipating next year‘s Eid celebrations when she looks forward to the opportunity to celebrate the way she had planned for this year.

Aleema cited many discomfort s herself and family face on a daily basis since the accident; from being crammed into a small room in the lower flat of their building, because of the damage to the upper flat and foundation posts in the home, to crafting a makeshift ladder to gain access to the upper flat to obtain personal effects. She stated that her faith in Allah has assisted her in smiling and taking on a positive countenance even when the situation seems bleak. Faizul showed SN an estimated cost for materials and labour to the tune of $1,291,100 to fix the damaged house. This cost is minus repairs to his fence which he stated he will personally undertake.

This estimate was prepared by a Muslim brother, for a fraction of what it would have otherwise cost to fix his house. He said that the contractor understood his plight and as such tried to keep the costs to a minimum. He explained that when the driver of the vehicle read the estimate he said it was too much and even accused Faizul of wanting to build a new house with his money. Razzack stated that he then had no choice but to seek legal recourse in the hope that he will be compensated for the damage. Lying in his hammock, a worried look on his face, he declared that he just wanted the matter to be over and to be compensated. He said he did not want the compensatory aspect of the matter to reach the courts however the hostility of the driver left him with no other alternative.

The driver of the vehicle, Robin Rajpaul, is currently on $150,000 bail. The matter continues in September.

Source

Five-vehicle accident impedes progress on Harbour Bridge
SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

A five-vehicle accident on the Demerara Harbour Bridge disrupted the smooth flow of traffic yesterday. The photos show the damaged cars from two angles.





Source


Bumper to bumper
By STABROEK STAFF | PHOTOS | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011


Four cars caused quite an obstruction on the Demerara Harbour Bridge after running into each other yesterday afternoon. Traffic was stalled for a few minutes and continued to flow slowly for a while.

Source

Canal No.2 road death…Victim’s injury consistent with being run over by car
SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

As police continue their investigation into last Sunday’s road accident in Canal Number Two Public Road, a file is being prepared to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

This publication was told that a post mortem examination was performed on the remains of Deonauth Seegobin who was reportedly struck down on Sunday night, last, by a speeding car. According to the findings, Seegobin had injuries which were consistent with being run over by a car. A source close to the investigation said that the injuries suggest that Seegobin was lying on the road at the time. As such, the police are preparing a file for the DDP with the aim of seeking advice on the matter.

However, Kaieteur News understands that the driver of the car has since been charged and place before the court for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was fined for that offence as a breathalyzer test showed that he was 60 % over the alcohol limit at the time of the accident. Initial reports stated that Seegobin was struck down, and the driver of the car fled the scene but was subsequently apprehended. Persons had speculated that Seegobin was struck from behind while heading home.

Source

Woman dies after struck down by Police vehicle
SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

An elderly woman died at the Georgetown Hospital last evening, hours after she was struck down by a Police vehicle. The woman was hit by the vehicle at Princes and Smyth Streets, Charlestown at around 16:00 hrs. She died about six hours later.

Reports are that the unidentified woman was on the road while the Police vehicle was escorting an official of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security who was accompanying a female to the hospital to get a medical examination done. Kaieteur News understands that the Police vehicle did not yield to the traffic and as a result collided with another vehicle. The Police then put the woman in a nearby taxi which took her to the hospital where she subsequently succumbed to her injuries.

Source

Does anyone know what kind of punishment is handed down to anyone found guilty under the influence?
First,second,third,tenth offence?

Alberttown woman, 75, fatally hit by police driver
By STABROEK STAFF | LOCAL | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2011

An elderly woman died on Wednesday after she was struck down by a vehicle being driven by a police constable. Dead is Eleian Harris, of Lot 17 First Street, Alberttown, who died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Police have said the constable, who was not authorized to drive any police force vehicle, is under close arrest and is assisting with the investigation.

The accident occurred around 4: 20pm in the vicinity of Smyth and Princes Streets, Georgetown, police said. According to a police release, investigations revealed that motor vehicle PJJ 3478, owned by the Guyana Police Force and driven by a Police Constable, was proceeding along Smyth Street, when it is alleged that the driver failed to stop at the intersection and collided with motor vehicle, PJJ 8888, and then struck the pedestrian who was standing on the eastern side of the road. The release also stated that the woman was taken to the hospital where she succumbed while receiving medical treatment.

When Stabroek News visited the deceased’s residence late yesterday evening, her tenant Yonnette (only name given) related that Harris would normally leave her home early in the morning and return late at night. She added that the old woman, who was a friendly person, lived alone. She explained that she was informed that Harris had been involved in an accident from another neighbour. “The neighbour called my husband and told him that Eleian went in an accident and my husband went to the GPH,” she said. When her husband arrived at the hospital, he was informed that Harris had died while in the operating theatre. An effort was made to contact the woman’s family, which resides overseas, but with no success.

Stabroek News

Kaieteur News

Carina Car
By STABROEK STAFF | PHOTOS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2011


Carina CarThis Toyota AT 212 Carina motorcar, PMM 7740 is being pulled out of the trench at Hope, East Coast Demerara after it took a dive yesterday afternoon. Luckily, the driver and another occupant escaped unhurt.

Source

Fire engine ends up in trench…but driver lauded for avoiding serious collision
By STABROEK STAFF | LOCAL | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2011

Fireman Rawl Barrow was deemed a hero yesterday afternoon after he drove a fire truck which was responding to a blaze into the canal at the corner of Albert and Lamaha streets to avoid a serious collision with a car. The driver of the car sustained bruises and cuts to the left side of his face while the two other occupants of the car and the firemen escaped unhurt. Reports are that around 4:30 pm yesterday the Central Fire Station in the city received a call that there was a fire along Woolford Avenue in the vicinity of the Guyana Industrial Training College (GITC).


The two vehicles at the scene of yesterday’s accident. (Alva Solomon photo)

The fire truck, with siren blaring, raced to the scene and according to an eyewitness, as the vehicle was about to cross Lamaha Street heading north along Albert Street, it collided with a car, bearing registration number HB 5652 which was heading west along Lamaha Street at the time. The right side of the car slammed into the left side of the fire truck which resulted in the latter crashing into a nearby electrical pole before finally coming to a rest in the nearby trench. At the scene, the driver of the car argued in vain as members of the public upbraided him for not obeying the relevant traffic laws. The man was subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) for treatment by the police.

Barrow noted that as he approached the usually busy junction, he applied his brakes and on seeing the car heading towards him, he drove into the direction of the trench to avoid “causing serious consequences to the occupants of the car”. The man was later praised by those at the scene for his actions while a senior fire official noted that motorists continue to disobey the traffic laws regarding fire trucks responding to fire emergencies on the public roads.


Fire service officers examine the damaged truck while their colleagues retrieve equipment.

The incident resulted in traffic bottlenecks along surrounding streets leading to the junction while residents noted that the area had experienced power woes for most of the day yesterday and the incident further compounded the situation. Two fire tenders subsequently arrived at the scene and extinguished the bush fire aback the GITC building which sparked the initial response by the GFS.

Stabroek News

Kaieteur News

Demerara Waves

Faster than a speeding bullet, the story of minibus travel
SEPTEMBER 5, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS
By Leon Suseran

A passenger entering a minibus has so much to put up with these days. The story of minibus travel in Guyana is quite an interesting one that can fuel a discussion that can go on and on and on, since Guyanese can write a book about the various bad experiences encountered while traveling on a minibus. In spite of this and due to the fact that the travellers here cannot do any better, Guyanese continue, on a regular basis, to flock minibuses which provide the cheapest fares. Even though a large number of the Guyanese populace now own their own vehicles, a larger number depend wholly on the nationwide minibus service to get to their destinations, work or otherwise.

The minibus, in the Guyanese context, is a small passenger vehicle that can hold up to 15 persons or so, and can travel to unimaginable speeds - drivers do not hesitate to test those speeds on our roadways. In Guyana, there are hundreds of minibuses that ply the roads daily. These buses are owned by individuals who pay their own drivers to operate daily on the roadways. These drivers must make lots of money at the end of the day to put in the hands of the owners, so this makes the job very challenging, since it becomes a competition on the road among minibus drivers (and conductors) to see who can shuttle most passengers and earn the most cash. The more trips they make, the more cash they roll in.

The stakes are high indeed resulting in the passengers becoming pawns in this “bread-and-butter” business. Pawns in a sense that the drivers want to get the fastest to their destinations, and try to move past other minibuses plying the same routes, to snatch passengers off the road. This has, on numerous occasions, resulted in high speeding and road accidents, many of which have left dozens of deaths on the roads. Over the past years, hundreds of persons have died as a result of travelling in a minibus. The statistics tell a harrowing tale of horror that has left much grief, distress and families without mothers, fathers and children.

Yet, the government feels no need to step in effectively to control this service by imposing stricter regulations such as erecting speed-bumps along the highways and by-ways (as is done in other countries visited by this writer). But in other countries, there are no minibuses, if any at all. Many Caribbean nations as well as North American countries use subways and big-bus services. These buses are very big and cannot speed too much due to their size. Speed bumps are strewn along the highways and busy intersections, so even if drivers want to speed, they cannot because they have to slow down upon encountering these bumps, lest damage their shacks and tires.

Not only is speeding a problem (perhaps it is the least of the problems) but the entire minibus culture and service is degrading and dehumanizing to say the least. A passenger joins a minibus and ends up having one of the worst experiences of his or her life, in public transportation.
And to think tourists have to put up with this horrible system. It is really bad for tourism since not many drivers and conductors are properly trained to deal with the travelling public.

The problems experienced by Georgetown passengers differ from the countryside passengers, since I am specifically speaking about minibus operators that ply the New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek routes. For example, you enter a minibus for a 20-minute journey, say, to Rose Hall Town or Port Mourant, and end up spending nearly an hour in the bus, getting there. The drivers, in their quest for passengers, end up turning around, going here, going there for passengers, and the passengers in the bus enduring all of this, end up being late. So, you must join a bus perhaps two hours before the scheduled time to get to your destination, because chances are you will spend a long time in that vehicle.

Drivers appear to have no consideration for passengers, since they (the passengers) are always asked to “make a shift” or “double up”. When the passengers show displeasure in this, they are insulted. This is the true expression of the glut for money and passengers, and desperation by the drivers to exceed the dollars earned for that day. They do not care about the comfort of the passenger. The music is another story. The most obscene and lewd music played to damage one’s ears is usually played. The driver and conductor cannot hear the passengers’ ‘stop’ call.

Many have called for the big bus system to be re-implemented here but the authorities do not seem inclined enough. As a result, we will continue to pay the price of numerous lives being lost each year due to minibus vehicular accidents. How naive and slow to act we seem to be. On many occasions, passengers end up cursing the drivers and conductors of minibuses because of the unfair and inconsiderate treatment. But do they (the drivers and conductors) care? Absolutely not. To them, it is just another day on the road; another day in the quest for passengers; another day to gamble with people’s lives on Guyana’s roads.

Source

Region Three drivers suggest more undercover cops - as Rohee calls for more involvement in road safety issues
SEPTEMBER 5, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

As part of the Government’s initiative of building safe communities, the Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee has been facilitating meetings with drivers in the different communities to listen to their suggestions on how to improve road safety and establish steering committees. Minister Rohee, yesterday met with the drivers of West Coast and West Bank Demerara. The minister engaged the drivers on the West Coast at the Uitvlugt Secondary School and on the West Bank at the Toevlugt/Patentia Neighbhourhood Democratic Council (NDC) building at Goed Intent.

“This is all part and parcel of a series of meetings that we are organising across the country to encourage citizen participation in the road safety issue,” Minister Rohee told the drivers. “This meeting is to meet with you, to talk around the issue, to get ideas from you and at the same time solicit your involvement,” Minister Rohee said. He told the drivers that they must become involved in road safety and to make the issue much more powerful because they must pass the message on and try to make people become more aware of road safety issues.


The West Coast Road Safety Steering Committees

“We don’t have enough police ranks and it is in recognition of this fact that we are seeking to make a more vibrant and geographically expansive national road safety policy,” Minister Rohee said. Regional Chairman, Region Three, Julius Faerber called the meeting a timely one for the reasons that the new school year starts today. “You will see quite a lot of movement on the road,” he told the drivers, “Be more vigilant, more cautious on the roads and look out for children who use the road carelessly,” he urged. “We need to work together to limit the number of road fatalities”, Faerber told the drivers.

The drivers made several suggestions, among these were the need for undercover cops in unmarked vehicles to more effectively regulate traffic infractions, the need to enforce speed and weight limit for trucks, as well as the need for tractors to remove their caged wheels before driving on the roads. The drivers also asked that cops issue tickets instead of confining vehicles for traffic infringements.

The newly established West Coast and West Bank Road Safety Steering Committee has two persons each as minibus drivers, hire-car drivers, private-car drivers, truck- drivers and, one representative each from the Police Force, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Road Safety Council.
The committee will soon meet and establish a Road Safety Council comprising persons in the Division. The established council will coordinate and implement all road safety activities in the Division and make recommendations to the National Road Safety Council towards addressing road safety concerns in the division. The council members will also be trained as road safety lecturers and will assist in the training of road safety patrols in the communities. They will also carry out road safety lectures to the schools and communities in the division.

The Minister had previously met with the drivers on the East Coast, East Bank and West Coast Berbice and will next meet with drivers on the Essequibo Coast. All the recommendations from the drivers in the different divisions will be documented and cost factored and those found sound will be implemented with the aim of improving safety on the roads.(GINA)

Source

Note: I attended this meeting and the suggestions in bold were made by me. Nice that GINA at least included them in their report, as the Minister ignored them completely in his address. The Minister also went off on an interesting and telling tangent as it related to police salaries when questioned why they couldn't be raised given the billions in annual increases netted by VAT and that OP paid pays Presidential Advisers US$4,000 per month. He said that during the weeks of cadet training the officers would have been informed of their salaries, and should have left for other jobs if they were not going to perform for $45,000 (US$225) per month.

Speeding minibus kills 73 year old man
Written by Denis Scott Chabrol Monday, 05 September 2011 13:18

A 73-year old man was killed and a staffer of the Lodge Health Centre injured by a speeding minibus on Norton Street, Wortmanville. Dead is Julian Allen of 1155 South Ruimveldt, hospital sources said. But police gave the man's name as Hubert Verwayne of Canje Pheasant Lane, South Ruimveldt.

Eyewitnesses said Allen, who was riding a scooter, was struck by the bus in the vicinity of Norton and Victor Streets. He suffered severe head injures and was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. The Sister in Charge of the Lodge Health Centre, 49-year old Veronica Rodrigues-Douglas fractured one of her legs.

"It is alleged that the motor cyclist was proceeding along Victor Street and failed to stop on the approach to Norton Street and collided with mini bus BNN 4990 which was proceeding along Norton Street. The motor cycle then skid along the road and collided with the pedal cyclist," police spokesman, Ivelaw Whittaker said in a statement. The driver was arrested. None of the passengers was injured.

Norton Street, not a designated minibus route, was the scene of a major accident in September, 2010. The Route 41 bus had turned turtle severela times before ending up in a drain.

The United States (US) has repeatedly noted the grave risk of travelling on Guyana's roads, in advisories to Americans including diplomats.

Source

Former national footballer's father killed in road accident
Written by Denis Scott Chabrol Monday, 05 September 2011 17:50

The father of a former national footballer was late Sunday night struck down and killed near a New Amsterdam street that was congested with party-goers. Dead is 67-year old Michael Carrington who was the father of former national footballer, Phillip ‘Pine’ Carrington.

The driver of a RAV 4, PJJ 9910, said to be the brother of a high-ranking police officer, could be charged with causing death by dangerous driving. The vehicle is also still in the compound of the New Amsterdam police station. Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) was told that Carrington was heading in a northerly direction when he was struck down by the vehicle at the junction of Main Street and 43rd Street Stanleytown, New Amsterdam. The incident occurred around 11:30 Sunday night. On hitting down the man, the driver returned to the scene where police arrived, detained and took him to the New Amsterdam Police station.

Michael Carrington was the father of three boys and eight girls, 37 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Source

This is the father of AFC Region 4 Councillor and Executive Member, Michael Carrington. Deepest condolences, Michael and family.

Rohee tells police ranks to live within their means - ‘Ignore those who say your pay is small’

Elderly motorcyclist killed after ‘jumping’ major road

Escaped with minor injuries
By STABROEK STAFF | PHOTOS | MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2011 Updated: 8:44 am


The driver of this car escaped with minor injuries afterhe collided with another car along Cemetery Road and Savage Street close to Le Repentir Cemetery yesterday morning. He was the lone occupant of the car at the time.

Source

Pedal cyclist dies after struck by car
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER NEWS

After being struck down by a car on the Timehri Public Road, East Bank Demerara, 20-year-old Feliciano Clenkien, is the country’s latest road fatality. Reports are that the accident took place around 12:00hrs as the young man was making his way back home after arranging to go into the interior to work.


Dead: Feliciano Clenkien

Clenkien, a Timehri resident, worked both at sea and in the interior. At the time of the accident, he was on his pedal cycle supposedly banking a turn around the “Icehouse Road” at Timehri when the car (PNN 1817) slammed into him. His body was hurled into the air and landed some feet away on the grass. Public spirited individuals which included ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rendered assistance and rushed the injured man to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, for immediate treatment.

Kaieteur News was told that while being transported to the hospital, Clenkien was in the company of a GDF medex who was doing his best to keep the young man alive. He was said to have a “weak pulse” upon arrival at the hospital. According to the group who took Clenkien to the hospital, they (including Clenkien) had to wait almost 30 minutes before they were paid any attention. A nurse finally came to their assistance, however; after taking one look at the man she pronounced him dead.

“He dead man, he dead” said the nurse. The GDF medex insisted that “there was a pulse” and that Clenkien was not dead as the nurse claimed. The nurse briefly checked for a pulse and remained adamant that “he dead”. One woman present stated “I don’t know you could just check somebody pulse so quick”. After the GDF medex persisted that Clenkien was indeed still alive, the nurse eventually called in some doctors, where two of them viewed the man and said “he done dead”.


The vehicle which was involved in the accident

Kaieteur News understands that at this point the hospital staff was preparing to send Clenkien to the mortuary but the GDF medex kept saying “the man ain’t dead!” “They bring some machine and check the man and then hurriedly chase everyone out of the room” said a source. The man subsequently died at the said hospital. Clenkien’s cousin, Joan Reece, told this newspaper that her deceased cousin used to live with her at Timehri, EBD, and he had left home earlier to make arrangements of going into the interior to work. While he was returning home he was struck down.

“I was at work when his brother came and told me that he was in an accident. We took a taxi and went to the Diamond Hospital. When we got there he was already dead. We spoke with the doctor who said he had head injuries and internal bleeding and they took his body to a city mortuary,” said Reece. The young man’s father, Errol Clenkien, told Kaieteur News that he was en route to Georgetown around 12:30 hrs when he became aware of the accident, however; he did not know it was his son that was involved. Sometime later, a relative notified him that it was his son who was injured in the said accident, and thus the worried man changed route and ventured back to Timehri.

The distraught man stated that he visited the Timehri Police Station to confirm the information he received and when this was done the police ranks began to take some information from him about his son. By the time the man arrived at the Diamond Hospital, his son’s body had already been taken to a mortuary. He said that the deceased was his “last son”.

When Kaieteur News visited the said hospital to enquire of the situation, a nurse on duty contacted the hospital’s administrator, Kevin Manna.
The administrator indirectly refused to speak with this newspaper. Manna, through his nurse related that “it is after 16:30hrs. If they want a comment they need to contact the police station or the Ministry of Health. The young man died upon arrival.”

Source

Gerhard Ramsaroop

Good job establishing a link showing the carnage on the roads in Guyana and the Govt's ineffectiveness in dealing with the careless drivers and bribe-taking policemen.

gerhard your suggestions are good. i just hope ppl swallow their pride and do something about this traffic situation. too many minibuses on the roads

Thanks Gupta and Blade. Blade, I truly don't care for any credit. I don't care if they take my ideas, many of which are from others as well, and implement them. But these people in their ivory towers are so narrow and disconnected - it is just sickening...

The occupants of these two vehicles are lucky to be alive
By STABROEK STAFF | PHOTOS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011





The occupants of these two vehicles are lucky to be alive and without any serious injury following a collision on the Houston Public Road last night. According to one of the three ranks from a police vehicle, they were slowly patrolling, heading in the direction of downtown Georgetown, when the Titan GNN 5915 collided with the right rear of the patrol vehicle PLL 7447. The impact then forced the patrol vehicle to collide with another vehicle which had only one occupant inside. The Titan ended up across the road and slammed into a fence. There were two occupants in the Titan. One of the occupants was assisted out of the wreckage first and reportedly went missing as ranks attempted to assist the driver of the vehicle Roy Mangra, who was unconscious at the time. Mangra, 30, of Industry, East Coast Demerara, was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital. [Tariq Pertab Photos]

Source