Bad drivers and bandits beware

Beach bandits in the Blanchisseuse and Maracas Bay areas are being warned to watch out. Come Easter weekend, the police intend to intensify their operations along all beaches, camp sites and public places. A similar plan is being put in place to end the carnage on the nation’s roads. According to Snr Supt Waldron Bishop, head of the Northeastern Division police: “This is part of our plan to deal with the escalating issues of crimes that take place around this time in these areas. We are also asking campers, especially in the Maracas Bay and Blanchisseuse areas, to report to the station in the district where they are going so we can check up on them.

“During the Easter vacation period, these two areas get the largest amount of campers in the country and we want them to feel safe. In cases where we can, an officer is sent with them and in cases where we can’t, regular checks will be made,” Bishop warned. “Cops will actually be doubling up this weekend. Some have been recalled from leave to make this a success.” Snr Supt Bishop could not say if similar actions would be initiated at other public camping and beach venues throughout the country. In similar circumstances, Snr Supt Randolph Protain, in charge of Traffic Branch Highway Patrol, has promised an all out attack against traffic offenders for the Easter weekend. In an interview with Newsday, he has promised to have police on the highways and byways of every community while calling on the public to do their part and refrain from informing errant drivers when there are police road blocks or patrols in the area.

He also promised that accident prone areas like the Uriah Butler Highway, the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, the Beetham Highway and Solomon Hochoy Highway will be part of their main focus. Easter weekend will see zero tolerance on traffic crimes. “Already this year the rate is equal to the number of road deaths we had last year. We don’t want to reach the same target of 198 that ended 2003. We have been forced to use things like sleeping policemen (road humps) and outdated speed traps, but with the addition of laser guns for speed traps and breathalyser, soon, we will be intensifying our attack.” Between January and at present, 8,000 traffic violations have been recorded, 3,000 in the last month, 500 in one day. In related circumstances, senior engineer at the Ministry of Works, Road Safety Traffic Department, Dexter Wong Wai responsible for speed limits, zebra crossings, other road signs, traffic lights and other traffic regulating devices, admitted that his department, formed in 1988 is not equipped to deal with the spiraling number of cars now on the road and did not cater for the number of accidents which is more than they had ever anticipated.