The traffic department has recorded and issued a total of 795 warrants for traffic offences committed since the beginning of the year. As such, the Guyana Police Force has embarked on a drive to recover payments for tickets issued to errant drivers; an exercise it said is going fairly well.
According to Traffic Chief, Dion Moore on Wednesday, many persons who are given tickets fail to comply with the law and pay up.
“In the past, a lot of these tickets used to go unpaid and whenever there is a next party, it would take a lengthy time before which drivers who are issued tickets are being apprehended. There is now a swift process whereby the court quickly acts and issue those warrants and divisionally, every week there is a warrant drive and we look for these traffic offenders,” he said.
Moore said the offenders are then required to pay for the warrants issued to them. According to the Traffic Chief, the initiative is a welcomed approach, highlighting that it is something which existed all along, but was not stringently enforced.
“Recognising that many of these tickets used to go unpaid has helped persons to violate these traffic laws. If a person knows that he can do something and get off with it, he will continue with it. So we’re after you. Every traffic violation, we are looking to catch you and prosecute you” said the Traffic Chief.
Moreover, Moore outlined that there is an on-going intelligence led traffic exercise, particularly for persons who violate traffic light control signals. In this exercise ranks are mobile and are looking out for persons who violate.
Meanwhile, Moore said the traffic department has also embarked on apprehending persons for speeding, driving under the influence, the use of cell phones while driving and unlicensed drivers. Moore said Enforcement remains one of the force’s greatest achievements to detour traffic offenders.
