Drivers who illegally obtain licences given six weeks to correct violation

Drivers who obtained their licences through irregular means rather than earning them have six weeks to surrender or face prosecution, President Dr Irfaan Ali said on Monday.

The President issued the ultimatum while addressing the Guyana Police Force’s Traditional Christmas Breakfast at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

“We have all the names of persons who got a practical paper but never passed the theocratical exam and we are going to give those persons in the public domain six weeks to surrender themselves and go through back the process, or after that we are going to public all the names in the newspapers, suspend their licences and prosecute them.”

He also highlighted a major loophole in the system.

“GRA give more licences than practical and theoretical passes. So we have now triangulated the entire process and we have all the data and information before us. I told you technology and the use of technology will be deployed at full speed,” he said.

Road-safety advocates have long argued that unqualified drivers contribute significantly to road accidents.

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips recently reported 642 road fatalities from 2020 to 2024, including 24 children. Speaking at the launch of Road Safety Month in November, he called the figures “painful reminders” of lives lost, particularly among teenagers and middle-aged people.

Fatalities peaked in 2023 with 175 deaths. Reckless driving, especially among young motorists, remains a key factor. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Guyana recorded 54 fatal crashes between January 1 and June 14, 2025 — a 17 per cent increase from the same period in 2024 — resulting in 58 deaths.