Crackdown on highway vendors yields results

A massive traffic exercise along the Churchill Roosevelt Highway in the vicinity of Nestle, yesterday resulted in 160 persons charged with traffic offences. Three persons were arrested during the same exercise for driving without insurance and licence and driving with a foreign licence. The exercise which was coordinated and led by ACP Mobile Nazamul Hosein and Ag ASP Dianand Naipaul started at 10 am and ended at 2 pm.

Other officers included Sgt Khan, Cpl Cato, PC John and officers of the Speed team of Highway Patrol. The offences detected yesterday included speeding, driving with defective tyres, carrying persons in an improper manner and driving defective vehicles. On Friday, five vendors who were selling at the intersection of the Uriah Butler and Churchill Roosevelt Highways were arrested during the crackdown on highway vending. One person was detained for resisting arrest. The crackdown on highway vending and the traffic exercise, were launched by the police following the tragic deaths of Carol Ramdeo and her son Chene on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway last Saturday. A truck driver who lost control of his vehicle pinned both mother and son in their car causing instant death.

Chabinath Ramdeo, the husband of Carol, had parked his car at the side of the highway to purchase peewah when the tragedy occurred. Following the two deaths, all the peewah vendors fled the scene. Senior officers said yesterday that they intend to crackdown on all forms of highway vending. The exercise will move to the West tomorrow. Yesterday all vendors who sell fish close to St Augustine were not around as well as those who dart in and out of traffic selling nuts and vegetables. Last week, Minister of Works Franklin Khan urged the public to cease and desist from stopping on the shoulders of the highway to purchase fruit, vegetables and other items. He said that a joint effort between the police and the ministry has started and would continue.