By: Amar Persaud
Traffic Chief Ramesh Ashram today announced that there are only 20 speed guns in use across the country, with five being recently calibrated by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).
He said these speed guns are distributed across all regions of Guyana, except for Regions One, Eight and Nine.
“Those three Regions that I mentioned, even though we have vehicles there, we don’t have the amount and the road, so we distribute speed guns where we see it necessary,” Ashram explained.
Meanwhile, the five speed guns were calibrated by the GNBS using its newly-acquired multi-radar equipment and compact device.
The remaining speed guns are expected to go through the same verification process in the coming week.
This exercise is to ensure that the speed guns being used by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are delivering accurate readings, as these equipment are supposed to be calibrated every six months.
GNBS Executive Director Ramrattie Karran explained that this process was embarked upon following numerous complaints made by road users.
“The devices used by the Guyana Police Force, we’re not implying that they are not accurate because when they were purchased by the Police Force, those devices came with a calibration certificate and they have a validity date that is still valid and the Bureau will continue to provide the service of calibrating and verifying the instrument to ensure its accuracy is maintained,” she explained.
“Accuracy of measuring devices is really critical and important, and in the maintenance of this, does not only ensure that justice is served but also optimises the credibility of agencies using these devices,” she added.
The GNBS official noted too that a similar process is undergoing for breathalysers being used by the GPF.
For his part, the Traffic Chief said this exercise will restore confidence in the GPF, especially in cases where speed guns are being used.
“The equipment that the Bureau has now acquired will enable us to have all our speed guns verified, so it will better enable us as it relates to prosecution… the speed guns and any equipment that we use in the Guyana Police Force, whether breathalyzer, tintometer, it has to be verified by the Bureau of Standards and after that verification the Bureau will issue a certificate and they will label the speed guns,” he explained.
“So, this enables us to have better prosecutions so, if a driver want to contest in a matter court and as it relates to the speed guns, it’s only speeding exercise where we issue tickets, but you find some drivers want to contest it and say that the speed that the police show them is not the speed that they coming at,” the Traffic Chief posited.
As it relates to the readings, it was explained that once the difference does not exceed three kilometers between the speed gun and the motor vehicle, it would indicate that the speed gun is properly calibrated and can be certified.
Over the past two years, some 239 ranks have been trained on how to properly use the speed guns.
The training was conducted by Solutions Architect Manager Mr. Corlan McDonald of JENOPTIK. He noted that the training included not only “a hands-on” approach to using the verification equipment but also its setting up, installation and configuration. Mr. McDonald further stated that the device is used across the world in various conditions.
On Wednesday, the new verification equipment was also tested at the South Dakota Circuit to verify one of the speed guns used by the GPF.
