The Private Sector Commission says Guyana’s poor road culture is becoming an economic problem, where the misuse of the roadways is costing the state billions of dollars.
Speaking at the Guyana National Road Safety Stakeholders Consultation on Friday, Chair of the PSC’s Governance and Security sub-committee Captain Leary Barclay emphasised the need for adequate investments in road safety measures given its severe impact on the business community.
“Every collision affects productivity, businesses lose trained employees, insurance costs increase, health care expenditures rise, goods are delayed, supply chains are disrupted, families lose income, foreign investors assess risk and tourists question safety,” Barclay said.
He added: “The cumulative economic impact runs into billions of dollars over time. Road safety is therefore not just a social investment; it’s an economic investment.”
Barclay noted that poor road culture disrupts the local economy, sends a negative message to foreign investors, and ultimately hampers the country’s national development.
“We are discussing whether businesses retain their employees, whether tourists leave Guyana with confidence in our country, whether investors see a Guyana that matches its extraordinary economic growth with equally strong governance and public safety,” he said.
He said for too long citizens have treated traffic laws as optional suggestions rather than a legal obligation, urging that stronger enforcement and capacity building are key measures to addressing the issue.
The road safety engagement was held under the theme “Transforming road safety culture through information, technology, education, enforcement, infrastructure and policy.” The Inter-American Development Bank, the National Road Safety Council and the Ministry of Public Works were among key stakeholders at the consultations.
