Vehicle operators are repeatedly told to hand over their documents to traffic ranks, and ordered to drive to the Police Station despite this being declared prohibited on several occasions by Traffic Chief Boodnarine Persaud.
According to numerous complaints from drivers over the weekend, after being stopped by Police Traffic ranks, they are ordered to turn over their drivers’ licences and insurances for inspection but on most occasions, these law enforcers would confiscate the documents and demand that they drive to the respective Police stations.
“Look, the other day I was driving up to town, an officer stop me, he ask foh me licence, I give he. Then he ask foh me insurance, I give he. Then he collect all two, put it in he pocket and tell me drive to Ruimveldt Station,” complained Johnson Charles.
The actions of the traffic officers have triggered questions by vehicle operators about the traffic laws enforcement. “If they saying you can’t drive without your documents, why are they taking it away and telling you to drive? Not even tell, order you to drive to the station. What sense is the law to not drive without documents, then?” Jenny Ramcharran, another driver questioned.
Another young lady told INews that she was parked for no more than 15 seconds across the Mon Repos Market on Saturday, when an officer approached her, requested her documents and opted to seize them while stipulating that she drive to the Beterverwagting Police Station. However, when she requested to have her documents returned before she followed the order, the officer refused to comply.
The young lady said when she informed a senior officer of the situation and asked “is it right for the officer to take away my documents, his response was no, but would you rather an officer give you back your documents then hold you by your pants, arrest you and embarrass you in front of people?”
Meanwhile, Traffic Chief Persaud said that the custom by ranks taking away drivers’ documents is forbidden. He said the only time traffic ranks can do that is if there are suspicions that the documents are fraudulent.
According to Persaud, officers are expected to inspect and return the documents and if necessary arrest the driver and have them taken to the Police station, or accompany them as they drive to the station to be arrested.
First they need to be educated , learn to spell and write, used common sense, now how to speak and approach someone, review the traffic laws, stop the abuse of power, should I continue?
I understand that we are trying to change the way things are done,and its good , But my question is ,is it not a traffic offense? Should someone be aresssted for a traffic offense ? And why must I drive to the station ? And if a 100 people committed a traffic offense are we going to lock every one up for a traffic Offense other than a accident or being drunk ? No wonder the police have 10,000 dollars box hand a day an they are doing okay where in the world do the police inconvenient someone by telling them to drive to the station and be arrested for a minor offenses , Guyana. Think about it when that police officer order someone to drive to the station 1 he’s or she is no longer on the road 2 the inconvenient they cause 3 full up the lock up 4 papers work 5 ETC How much it costs the country to process a minor offense ? The traffic department laws need to be review a 50 year laws be to be update, not the mention the drive test , that’s pandora box , and to wait a month for your test results in a day an age like this . If someone lives in linden got a really good paying job in Berbice and have a family in linden an realize its cheaper an saves you 4 hours 10,000 dollars a month and wants to buy a car but need a drive license ? What do you think he’s going to do? He got a friend that knows somebody that knows some officer, do the math . This is 2016 people !
It seems that the law is not understood by the very ones enforcing it. Now if I commit a traffic offense for example stopping at the market on the road way I am wrong but that offense is a ticket offense no need to be taken to the station so the traffic chief need to check that up also. Why would u place someone under arrest for a simple traffic offense, come on ppl
All these options are wrong. The best or worst option is the rank may issue a ticket which can later be reviewed by a police prosecutor or magistrate in court.
Well the ranks are doing that so what is the solution to the problem?