Berbice: A youth organisation based in Region five has facilitated the formation of the Region 5 Road Safety Association. Global Youth Movement Guyana which is a youth led and youth serving organisation began consultations in 2013 with the Region Democratic Council of Region five and the Guyana National Road Safety Council to discuss the resuscitation of the interim road safety steering committee which was formed in 2011.
The steering committee was formed in 2011 to work towards the establishment of a West Berbice Road Safety Association but it was not functioning and had not fulfilled its mandate after three years. The Executive Director of Global Youth Movement – Guyana – Mr. Mark Ross is thrilled that the youth organisation he heads was given the support from the Regional Administration, the Guyana National Road Safety Council and all other stakeholders to form the road safety association.
He pointed to the fact that the Guyana Police Force reported that in 2013 there were 112 deaths from 103 accidents; compared to 110 deaths from 102 accidents in 2012. The force listed speeding, inattentiveness and driving under the influence of alcohol as main causes of accidents. 10 children; 18 motorcyclists; 13 pedal cyclists; 17 drivers, 22 passengers and 39 pedestrians died as a result. Ross explained that his organisation is very concerned that many victims of road accidents are young people and children. Road fatalities are predicted to be the fifth leading cause of death in the world by 2030.
Twenty two representatives from the departments of education and public works, police traffic departments of Fort Wellington and Mahaicony, nine (9) Neighborhood Democratic Councils, Civil Society, Minibus Association and the Regional Democratic Council elected an eleven member Executive Committee. The Committee includes; Mr. Rion Peters – Regional Vice-Chairman as Chairperson, Mark Ross – Executive Director of Global Youth Movement – Guyana as Treasurer and Civil Society Representative, Carole Smith-Joseph – Regional Councillor as Secretary and Annesta Douglas – Accountant of the Department of Education as Assistant Secretary/Treasurer. The Committee Members include; Tyrone Ritch – Regional Engineer, Dennis Chesney, Sandra Baldeo, Padmini Jagnandan, Balram Totaram, Keith James all NDC representatives and one representative from the department of health. Mr. Dennis Stephen is the Police Representative of Fort Wellington while Mahaicony will submit their name shortly.
The first order of business for the association will be to discuss training for its members and agree on an annual work plan and budget. This will be done at an executive meeting to be convened before the associations’ first statutory meeting to be held on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.
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