Guyana Electrical Consultants & Associates

Usually an extremely busy intersection especially during rush hour, the Regent and Camp streets corner has become bedlam since the traffic lights stopped working, as have many others in the city. Recently however, there have been traffic policemen manning that corner at the busiest times of the day, which tempers the discourtesy that would otherwise be displayed by many drivers. 

A curious situation played out early this week, which, sadly, appeared to be the rule rather than the exception. As the traffic policeman stopped the traffic moving east-west, west-east and beckoned to those moving north-south, south-north to proceed, a group of pedestrians crossing east-west, stepped off the pavement into the path of a car which had just been given leave to move off. The driver hurriedly applied brakes, barely preventing his vehicle from ploughing into the group which comprised a young man, two women and three small children.

He was nevertheless subjected to a stream of foul abuse by the adults in the group, who, blissfully unaware that they were wrong, or not caring, strolled leisurely across the road also forcing west-east vehicles to a standstill. Fortunately for him, none of the cars in line behind him had attempted to move off in a rash manner, and a fender-bender was also avoided. However, drivers a little way behind in the line, who could not discern the reason for the hold-up, immediately began to toot their horns.

The traffic policeman looked at the tableau and gave a small shrug as if to say ‘oh well.’ The driver who was forced to stop abruptly attempted to intimate to the policeman - mouthing words and gesturing - that he should have a word with the pedestrians, but he was waved on, somewhat impatiently. Another traffic policeman, standing in the shade of a building on Regent Street, looked on expressionlessly. Both gave the impression that they were used to what they were seeing and also used to not acting to prevent it being perpetuated.

And this does not only happen at Camp and Regent. Throughout the city pedestrians can be found stepping carelessly across busy roads; walking on the wrong side of the street or four and five abreast; and marching across pedestrian crossings without so much as a pause. But they are not the only abusers, cyclists and motorcyclists weave dangerously around vehicles apparently on a mission to never stop at an intersection. Minibuses and other vehicles overtake on the wrong side or ignore all and any traffic signs, displaying caution only when they observe the white sleeves of traffic officers in the distance.

It is clear that the Traffic Department’s daily road safety talk and occasional campaigns are not reaching their target group. But this is not the only reason for the mad recklessness we see on our roads today. The other reason leads us to the question posed by columnist Ian McDonald in the Sunday Stabroek of April 24: “Why are we not overwhelmed by bitter shame?” The level of degeneration visible in our society indicates the possibility that many of us really do not know any better. And as harsh as that may seem, it is preferable to the alternative answer that many of us do not really care.