Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Traffic Department, Ramesh Ashram is calling for the removal of vagrants and vendors who ply their trade at traffic intersections. According to the Traffic Chief, they pose dangers not only to themselves but to other road users as well.
Traffic Chief Ramesh Ashram has made a stern call on the Human Services Ministry to assist with the removal of vagrants from the roads.
In fact, Ashram disclosed that three persons lost their lives in 2021 as a result of being at intersections, adding that this has to stop.
“This is a big one on the roadways. Vagrants at all the traffic lights… road safety is everybody’s business. All stakeholders need to be on board,” he said.
The intersections where persons are usually involved in accidents are Eccles, Peters Hall, the Harbour Bridge on the East Bank of Demerara, and, Mandela Avenue in Georgetown.
The Traffic Chief further said that the Human Services Ministry has to play a part in getting those persons off the streets, to aid in the reduction of road fatalities.
“All the three beggars that were killed on the road, they were hit by lorries. They (the lorry drivers) use the road wilfully and they don’t understand that when driving a lorry, you can’t see properly when they watch down in front, or around the vehicle.”
Last year the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security announced its aim to boost capacity at the Georgetown Night Shelter to tackle vagrants in the city.
Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud had said the idea is to help those living on the streets to become self-sufficient.
Meanwhile, Ashram noted that recently, motor lorries have become a major issue for the Police Force; not only causing accidents but traffic congestion.
“One of the biggest hurdles on the East Bank is lorries. From last year to date, it is in excess of 1000 of these big lorries…”, he said.
Two years ago, the Guyana Police Force commenced restricting container trucks and lorries along the roadways during peak hours. This was in order to ease traffic congestion.
