205 people killed on Guyana roads in 2007 - 25% increase from 2006
Pedestrians among the highest number killed- Greene
Guyana Chronicle: ACTING Commissioner of Police, Henry Greene, has revealed that there has been a 25 percent increase in road fatalities for 2007.
Quoting the figures at a press conference held last Monday, Greene disclosed that in 2006 there were 165 road fatalities compared to 205 in 2007.
He added that if the Guyana Police Force had not introduced the stringent measures it did last October, the number would have likely surpassed the law of average, which would have taken the numbers to more than 50 percent higher than 2006.
In his report, Greene also noted that 2007 saw a 19.2 percent increase in the number of road accidents, up from 140 in 2006.
According to the Top Cop, up to last October there existed a run away figure 50 percent above that of 2006 for the same period.
He pointed out that key areas of concern continue to be the East Bank of Demerara Public Road, which has recorded the highest number of fatalities, followed by the Corentyne and Georgetown.
Consequently, the Commissioner stressed that ‘A’ Division remains an area of grave concern where a lot of traffic work has to be done.
“We know we’ve been causing some level of inconvenience to the general public but I think people need to be a lot more traffic conscious in this country and to see traffic as a real issue” he exhorted.
He went on to note that 61 pedestrians were killed which rank as the highest group of persons killed. “We’ve had quite a lot of persons who have died walking the streets,” he reiterated.
Following the pedestrians are the persons in cars, then the minibus, followed by the pedal and motor cyclists –all attracting record high figures.
In highlighting the increasing level of road fatalities involving motor cyclists, Greene attributed the cause partly on the increasing number of provisional licences being issued.
He said that one of the main focuses for 2008 will be the enforcement of the law which allows only three provisional licenses per individual, encouraging more individuals to pursue obtaining a driver’s licence.
