Mothers in Black seek traffic act reform
By Samantha Alleyne
Women who have lost their children or relatives in road accidents, along with other concerned citizens are calling on the government to reform the Motor Vehicle and Traffic Act in order to stop the carnage on the roads. A number of women and a few men took this issue to the corner of High and Hadfield streets opposite Parliament Buildings yesterday, bearing placards in an effort to let their message be heard by the government and the Guyana Police Force. They come under a newly formed group Mothers in Black, which was initiated by Denise Dias who formed the Alicea Foundation after her daughter Alicea Goveia was killed on the road four years ago. The women are prepared to stand in the said location every Friday between 12:00 midday and 1:00 pm until their voices are heard and some action is taken by those in authority. The group was launched after the two fatal accidents this week which claimed 12 lives. The launching of Mothers in Black was influenced by what the organisers know about Las Madres de la Playa (Mothers of the Square), also known as Las Abuelas de La Playa (Grandmothers of the Square) and Women in Black. Las Madres de la Playa was formed by Argentinian women, who over the years returned again and again to a certain square to demand an accounting of their children and grandchildren who had "disappeared". Women in Black was started in Israel in 1988 by women protesting against Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "Each time another child is killed, or maimed it twists a knife in the hearts of those still grieving from the loss of a loved one," were the words in a press release put out by the new group. The group has also launched a signature campaign. "We are taking this action as mothers, as grandmothers and as aunts because these are the relationships in which we do the loving labour of raising the children that are being killed in this road slaughter. We refuse to accept any longer that we must raise children to die senselessly," the release said. Most of the persons who turned up in support of the effort had lost children or relatives in road accidents some as recent as Monday's Soesdyke Highway smash up which took the lives of eight people, four of whom were children. "Speed is killing our loved ones", We need a traffic court Now!", "Government, Drivers & Police, stop killing our children, do something now," some of the placards read. Aunt of Alicea Goveia, Beverly Harper, said that the government should make the wearing of seat belts mandatory in all hire and private cars along with introducing the breathalyser law to decrease the number of drunk drivers of the road. She also said that the number of mini-buses per route should be reduced because too many buses operating on the same route would increase speeding as they all fought for the same passengers. Harper said she was appalled at the leniency with which magistrates dealt with drivers who appeared before them and she along with many others recommended that every driver charged with an offence that might have endangered the life of someone be jailed. She noted that the driver who was charged with causing the death of her niece was put on bail and had since skipped the jurisdiction. Acknowledging that there was a traffic court in Georgetown, Harper said that there was need for a specific court to deal with all traffic matters since most of the accidents occur outside of Georgetown. The mother of Kenon Robinson, who was killed two years ago in front of the National Sports Hall, called for increased vigilance on the roads to check the speeds of drivers. "We are going to stand here until our voices are heard," the woman said. These same thoughts were echoed by Lucille Bacchus who lost her two children, Fareena and Wallie, who would have been 20 and 21 years old respectively this year. Tears brimming at the corners of her eyes and wearing a T-shirt with her children's faces imprinted on it, the woman said she could not understand how the driver who killed her children could have been released after 16 months when he was sentenced to three years in person. She pointed out that when she enquired, she was told he was released because of good behaviour. Bacchus said that should not be condoned by society since offenders should be made to pay the full penalty. Sherwood Kendall of the Guyana Consumers' Association, said the effort by the women was a timely one. He was supported on this by Desmond Trotman who also joined the lobby. Kendall said the government had failed to regulate public transportation which was an essential public utility. He described the penalties imposed on some offending drivers as "ridiculous". "This action by the women is an extremely important first step in having the situation addressed," Trotman said. He stated that there was nothing anyone could point to as something decisive that was done by those in authority to stop road accidents.  Follow the goings-on in Guyana
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