The Ministry of Home Affairs has published guidelines for members of the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department on several areas that have caused much inconvenience to motorists.
Among the guidelines listed by the Home Affairs Ministry are, that
- Traffic ranks are not authorized to solicit motorists to provide any favour to them including the supply of meals, cash or the provision of anything not connected with the performance of their duties. Both parties are liable to be charged criminally.
- Ranks or members of the Force are not authorized to take away any Driver’s Licence or other documents unless the driver fails to give his/her name and address or the documents are suspected to be forged or unlawfully obtained.
- Traffic tickets are to be issued to errant drivers for minor offences. Vehicles should not be detained for minor offences.
- Junior traffic ranks should not detain vehicles at police stations for unnecessarily long periods of time without probable cause and the express authority of their superiors.
- Traffic ranks are expected to be courteous to motorists and other occupants of vehicles. They must at all times act impartially.
Here's our take
1.“- Traffic ranks are not authorized to solicit motorists to provide any favour to them including the supply of meals, cash or the provision of anything not connected with the performance of their duties. Both parties are liable to be charged criminally.”
If you supply it to my surrogate who supplies it to me there is no problem.
2.“- Ranks or members of the Force are not authorized to take away any Driver’s Licence or other documents unless the driver fails to give his/her name and address or the documents are suspected to be forged or unlawfully obtained.”
The traffic cop still makes the determination. He is still in the driver’s seat.
3.“- Traffic tickets are to be issued to errant drivers for minor offences. Vehicles should not be detained for minor offences.”
Who determines what’s a minor traffic offence? The traffic cop.
4.“- Junior traffic ranks should not detain vehicles at police stations for unnecessarily long periods of time without probable cause and the express authority of their superiors.”
Oops Senior ranks can detain vehicles. What’s an unnecessarily long period of time? What’s considered probable cause? Profuse sweating on a hot day. Does the superior come to the scene of the infraction to express his authority or is the car taken to the station for this to take place? Isn’t the driver already delayed under these circumstances?
5.“- Traffic ranks are expected to be courteous to motorists and other occupants of vehicles. They must at all times act impartially.”
If the rank farts, is that being discourteous? Is the driver then free to leave?
I know the Police are trying to improve but I think they have opened a can of worms.
Its is so true that they opening a can of worms, traffic police are the worst to deal with motorist, they will twist and turn the law to suit them making sure they benefit in the end. Whether it is an offence or not they have to get a little something and that is wrong, hope what the minister is trying to do will make some difference that is if the police force takes into practice.
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