He told a news conference at Police headquarters in Georgetown that the Force was not happy with the current traffic situation and is appealing to all road users to be careful.

"Too many lives are being lost; we must bring a halt to this situation", he added.

He reported that up to April 28 this year, figures for the same period last year show that the situation has not improved significantly.

	2001	2002
No. of fatal accidents	38	40
No. of persons killed	47	53
No. of children	11	03

McDonald said the Police Force is continuing its enforcement exercise countrywide and a total of 19,321 traffic cases have been made so far this year.

Speeding has been one of the major factors contributing to accidents, the Police Commissioner said.

He noted that with the anticipated acquisition of more radar guns this year, the Police will be more active on the roads to reduce speeding.

"We anxiously await the introduction of the necessary legislation to enhance our enforcement capabilities," he said.

He reported that the Police have enhanced the level of supervision of the practical tests in Police Divisions for the licensed endorsement of mini-bus drivers.

A significant number of candidates are now finding it difficult to succeed in the practical test to obtain a driver's licence, according to figures for the first quarter of the year.

McDonald reported that for the period, 182 persons made appointments for their tests, but only 54 were successful. (GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AGENCY)