15 road deaths recorded for 2023, Commissioner Hicken meets with Traffic Officers
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) said fifteen (15) persons have died as a result of road accidents for 2023 thus far. As a result, acting Commissioner of Police, Mr Clifton Hicken, along with Deputy Commissioner’ Administration’, Mr Calvin Brutus, and Deputy Commissioner’ Operations’, Mr Ravindradat Budhram, this morning (Friday, March 3, 2023) summoned a meeting with all of the Police Force’s Regional Traffic Officers, including the Traffic Chief, to ‘set the pace’ and iron out issues that are hampering the effectiveness of the Traffic Departments, countrywide.
The meeting, held in the Top Cop’s Conference Room at Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, comes on the heels of the recent increase in fatal accidents.
During the fiery meeting, Commissioner Hicken told the Traffic Officers present that the prevailing traffic lawlessness will not be allowed to continue by the Force’s hierarchy and upbraided them for their lapses and underperformances as well as the ranks under their command which has contributed to the issue, as he warned: “there will be consequences for those who are underperforming.”
As such, to ‘set the pace’ for improved traffic management countrywide, Top Cop Hicken passed clear instructions to that effect.
Some of these instructions are:
- Traffic ranks must be stretched along the road corridors in order to slow down vehicles as a preventative method to curb speeding
- Enforcements (traffic) must be done by day and by night
- Stopping motorists and asking for documents must be ceased unless the operation is being supervised by an Officer or an Inspector
- Traffic police should not be seen talking on the phone while directing traffic, amongst other things.
Along these lines, Mr Hicken encouraged the officers to use the Force’s resources (vehicles and bikes) when executing their duties. He urged them to ‘take the bull by its horn’ to curb road fatalities and lawlessness on the roadways.
Prior to concluding the meeting, the Top Cop initiated the rotation of several of the traffic officers. This move by the Top Cop ensures that all traffic officers remain active and up-to-date with the Force’s traffic department operations within the various regions.
In closing, Mr Hicken echoed that “we must get this fixed”, indicating that “no haphazard behaviour” would be tolerated.
