Dear Editor,

I refer to "Eye on the Issues" on CH 6 (10.2.2002)with Mr. Yesu Persaud and his guests, two members of the Women in Black. Mr Persaud explained the severe penalties for road traffic infringements in Canada, but he did not explain that the road traffic laws are being enforced in Canada. In Canada one does not find animals straying on the roads, building materials dumped on the roads, drying of paddy on the roads, private construction on the roads, obstruction of the restricted areas at the junction of roads, driving licences in the hands of unqualified drivers, noise nuisances from vehicles in the form of music, overcrowding of passenger carrying vehicles, deterioration of roads because of bad maintenance and so on.In Guyana road deaths are caused by many illegal activities on the roads. If the government believes that passing legislation for higher penalties will have any effect on road deaths, they must surely be living in cloud-cuckoo-land. The higher penalties will not in themselves bring offenders to the courts. All the laws governing safety on the roads must be enforced to reduce carnage.Most Guyanese know that animals on the roads have caused deaths. Earth on roads also causes death, see SN 24/5/2001 "Policeman dies after bike collides with earth mound". The article goes on to say that just over a month before another policeman met the same end. The government must address the culture of lawlessness.