President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali has announced a sweeping clean-up of Guyana’s driver licensing system alongside a fresh round of tougher traffic laws, as the government moves to curb road deaths and restore confidence in key institutions.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday on the sidelines of an engagement at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the President revealed that a list of persons implicated in widespread irregularities in the issuance of driver’s licences will soon be published.
“The reconciliation is ongoing, and very soon a list will be published of persons who will be asked to come in and explain the issues,” President Ali stated.
This follows a technology-driven audit that uncovered serious discrepancies, including cases where more practical driving certificates were issued than candidates who passed the theoretical exam, and instances of persons being certified without meeting basic prerequisites.
In December 2025, the president warned those who bypassed the proper procedures to obtain driver’s licences and gave them a six-week window to come forward or face consequences, including prosecution, suspension of licences, and public disclosure.
Also at the GDF engagement, the head of state confirmed that Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, has been instructed to prepare additional amendments to the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act for tabling in Parliament within weeks.
“We had increased the fines and have some of the harshest fines for different traffic offences, drinking and driving and all of these things. The enforcement is a problem, but we’re improving enforcement with the cameras,” President Ali said, noting that enhanced surveillance and technology will be central to tightening compliance.
He explained that the Attorney General has been asked to review the law to determine what further measures are needed and to ensure all necessary amendments are ready for Parliament.
These reforms, he said, are expected to close loopholes, strengthen penalties for dangerous driving, and reinforce mandatory sanctions for serious offences.
President Ali stressed that road safety cannot be treated as a peripheral concern in a developing society, especially in light of the deadly consequences of indiscipline on the roadways.
“We cannot develop a society without care and without attention to these, what some may believe are small details, but very important details, if our society is to be disciplined,” he stated.
President Dr Irfaan Ali
