A police officer cannot drive a vehicle without a valid driver’s licence

Dear Editor,

With respect to a letter to the editor by Mr Ganesh Mahipaul which was published in the Stabroek News of February 20, 2014, under the caption ‘Does a police officer need a valid driver’s licence to drive on the country’s roads?’ the Guyana Police Force would like to clarify that under the law no person is permitted to drive any motor vehicle on a road unless he/she is the holder of a valid driver’s licence.

This applies to members of the Guyana Police Force as well, whether they are driving a police vehicle or any other motor vehicle.

Section 23(1) of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act clearly states that:

“A person shall not drive a motor vehicle on a road unless he is the holder of a driver’s licence and a person shall not employ any person to drive a motor vehicle on a road unless the person so employed is the holder of a driver’s licence and if any person acts in contravention of this section he shall be guilty of an offence.”

Yours faithfully,

Ivelaw Whittaker

Public Relations and

Press Officer

Guyana Police Force