With more than 200 road accidents involving heavy duty trucks reported so far for this year, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill has issued a call on the Guyana Police Force’s Traffic Department to strictly enforce the traffic laws against large container and sand trucks.

In the past year, the number of large trucks on the country’s roadways has tripled and the Minister of Public Works has noted the damage to public infrastructure as a result of the many traffic incidents involving the trucks.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Minister Edghill said there needs to be urgent intervention to address the problem, including from the communities where the trucks traverse.

He said while the Government has already taken a decision to restrict the movement of the large trucks from some communities, the problems still persists.

“The Police has got to do their job. We have laws, and it is about enforcing the laws. We have taken a decision about the speed limits of these trucks and that they cannot go into certain communities, especially with the smaller streets, and we had situation where we had to make interventions. We have put up ‘No trucks and Lorries’ signs in smaller communities, and when we build out the rest of community roads, we don’t want them being destroyed,” the Minister noted.

The Minister said the Housing Minister is already putting a mechanism in place to make land available for the trucks to park, rather than along the roadways.

He noted that his Ministry’s traffic department will also be working with the Police Force.

A frustrated Minister Edghill said his Ministry will also be making several additional interventions to address the many concerns of other road users.

“Since that (Heroes) highway, the volume of traffic has increased in the country and even though a lot of the traffic has migrated from the East Bank to the Heroes Highway, the East Bank is still congested and the Heroes Highway at particular times is also congested,” Mr. Edghill said. 

Additionally, the Minister said although the Heroes Highway was built to alleviate the burden from the main East Bank road, the traffic situation along the East Bank road remains problematic, and efforts are underway to devise a new strategy in time for the opening of the new Demerara River Bridge.

“So by the time the bridge is completed, the entire Highway would be managed by traffic lights, roundabouts and other slip lanes. So these things have to come with careful study because you have volume of people. So there will be some emergency intervention waiting on the overall plan on the Heroes Highway,” the Minister noted.

The Guyana Police Force is very concerned about the large number of trucks that are now moving along the country’s roadways and at top speeds, especially late at nights when traffic operations are reduced. Drivers are being encouraged to be mindful of other road users.

More than 18 persons have so far died since January in vehicular accidents involving the large trucks.

Related posts:

More traffic cameras and e-ticketing to curb reckless use of the roadways President calls for collective partnership to curb reckless use of the roads Big trucks and speeding drivers warned about misuse of new East Bank road Traffic Dept. to begin enforcement of laws governing car safety seats of children