The Guyana Police Force (GPF) throughout this week executed its “Operation Safe Road” exercise in several high traffic areas, where a number of violations were recorded.
Ranks of the Bartica Police Station in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) would have carried out the exercise on Thursday where there were cases of failure to confirm sign, failure to wear seatbelt, failure to wear safety helmet, unlighted motor vehicle, obscured identification mark, breach of fitness, tinted glass, failure to stop as directed by Police, unlicensed driver and breach of insurance.
Meanwhile, on Friday morning, a similar operation followed at Grove on the East Bank of Demerara, where five minibus drivers were found guilty of overloading along with 11 tinted vehicles.
At the Stabroek Market area, officers of the Brickdam Police Station found three untidy drivers, three persons who failed to comply with police direction, four who failed to confirm to signs, three breaches of road service license, one person culpable of dangerous driving, four cases of obstruction caused by motor vehicles among other infringements.
In Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), persons were found driving under the influence of alcohol. There were also instances of unlighted vehicles, tinted vehicles and failure to wear seat belts.
Owing to the rate at which persons were losing their lives, Police Commissioner Leslie James on Tuesday announced that this exercise would be carried out across the country.
Since last Sunday, the Force employed the new operation to decreased these numbers and make the roads safer, especially during the holiday season. James said more human resources would be put aside for this, until there is a positive change.
But one day after he made this announcement, five persons lost their lives and four were seriously injured following a collision between a minibus and a lorry on the Fairfield Public Road, Mahaicony East Coast Demerara on Wednesday morning.
Those confirmed dead were minibus driver Seechan Chandilall, 48, of Lot 102 Bath Settelment, West Coast Berbice; Keon Sealey, 33, of Farm, Mahaicony; Alana Vaughn, 31, of Farm, Mahaicony, Ewart Reynlods, 64, of Calcutta Mahaicony, and Maxwell Disreali Thom 76.
Several passengers who were also in the minibus, BRR 5478, were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital and are a serious condition. They are Cecil Gordon, 46, of Farm, Mahaicony; David Jacobs, 60, and Angela Jacobs, 15, both of Moraikobai, Mahaicony and lorry driver Sherlon Wills 46, of Helena, Mahaica. They were all initially taken to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where they were treated and then transferred to GPHC.
