HGP Nightly News – Government is moving to introduce a centralised digital registry to track the full driving history of road users, in what Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall says is part of a broader effort to strengthen enforcement and restore discipline on Guyana’s roadways. The proposed system marks a significant step in the administration’s wider road safety agenda, as concerns continue over traffic offences, weak compliance and the number of lives being lost in accidents across the country.
In a statement on Thursday, Nandlall said the initiative forms part of the Government’s broader Safe Country agenda, under which safer roads and public spaces remain a top priority. He explained that his chambers will work alongside the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of the Public Service and Government Efficiency, the Guyana Police Force, the National Data Management Authority and other key stakeholders to construct and populate the registry. According to the Attorney General, the database will contain crucial information on road users, including licensing particulars as well as their past conduct, such as previous charges or convictions for traffic-related offences.
The registry is expected to be accessible to multiple state agencies, including the Judiciary, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service, the Probation Department and the Guyana Revenue Authority. Nandlall said the measure will allow for more efficient enforcement of Guyana’s road traffic laws, particularly by strengthening the implementation of penalties such as the demerit point system, which allows for the suspension or revocation of drivers’ licences. In that sense, the proposed registry is being positioned not just as a data tool, but as a major enforcement mechanism within the country’s evolving road safety framework.
The move follows a directive from President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who has already signalled that further tightening of the legislative framework is needed to address persistent enforcement challenges. Speaking recently on the sidelines of an event at the Guyana Defence Force, the President said the Attorney General had been tasked with preparing additional amendments for Parliament within three weeks. While acknowledging that Guyana already has some of the harshest fines for traffic offences, Ali said enforcement remains a challenge, even as the Government continues to improve that area through the use of cameras and other systems.
According to the President, further measures are now being considered to close compliance gaps and ensure stricter accountability. He stressed that road safety must be treated as a national priority, warning that what may seem like small infractions can often have serious and even deadly consequences. In keeping with that directive, Nandlall confirmed that a new wave of legislative amendments is already prepared, targeting not only traffic offences but also wider public order concerns such as noise nuisance, especially from vehicles, and littering in public places.
The significance of the push becomes clearer against the backdrop of Guyana’s troubling road safety record this year. More than 30 persons have already lost their lives in road accidents, with speeding identified as a leading cause in many fatal crashes. Among the most recent tragedies was the death of brothers Mickel Daniels and Miguel Daniels, who were killed after the car they were travelling in crashed head-on into a minibus along Union Public Road, West Coast Demerara. Several others were injured in that accident, which remains under police investigation.
