GEORGETOWN — Motorcycles exceeding 175cc have no place on Guyana’s battered public roads, a fiery column in Kaieteur News declared Tuesday. The piece, written in the voice of ‘Dem Boys,’ paints a vivid picture of roaring engines shaking verandas and riders weaving recklessly through traffic like gladiators in an illegal race.

Every street corner now echoes like a NASA engine test, the column claims. Big bikes blast past homes, turning quiet evenings into high-decibel chaos. Guyana’s roads, pocked with potholes and lacking run-off areas or safety barriers, cannot handle the strain, it says. ‘What it ain’t got is run-off area, gravel trap, or grandstand,’ the writers note.

Riders often skip helmets to preserve hairstyles, ditch gloves because they’re too warm, and forgo jackets to keep the ‘vibes’ flowing, according to the column. They dart left and right, ignoring indicators and speed limits, accelerating from zero to disaster in seconds. The public roadways lack pit crews — just roadside tire repairmen and uncles with wrenches offering dubious fixes.

Engines up to 175cc suffice for trips from Georgetown to Berbice, the argument goes. Anything larger buys horsepower solely to intimidate other drivers. Mixing high-performance machines with crumbling infrastructure invites tragedy, not triumph. Hospital curtains, not checkered flags, await the reckless, the column warns.

The commentary taps into widespread frustration over Guyana’s growing motorcycle menace. High-powered bikes, often imported without regard for local conditions, dominate urban lanes. Riders treat drains and cars as obstacles in a personal derby, endangering pedestrians and motorists alike.

Safety experts have long echoed similar concerns. Guyana’s traffic fatalities spiked in recent years, with motorcycles involved in a third of deadly crashes, police data shows. The Guyana Police Force reported 142 road deaths in 2025, many tied to speeding two-wheelers. Yet enforcement remains spotty amid limited resources.

The column urges a simple fix: confine bikes over 175cc to dedicated tracks or garages. Polish them on Sundays, it suggests, but keep them off streets built for survival, not speed. Public response online lit up quickly, with hundreds agreeing the time for action has come.

Guyana’s infrastructure lags behind the bike boom fueled by cheap imports from China and India. Models like the 200cc Haojue and 250cc Lifan flood markets, drawing young riders chasing thrill on a budget. But narrow bridges, sharp turns, and flooded sections during rains turn highways into deathtraps.

Officials have mulled restrictions before. In 2023, the Works Ministry floated engine size limits for urban areas, but the plan stalled. Transport Minister Robeson Benn told reporters last year that licensing tougher bikes could help, though no timeline emerged.

For now, ‘Dem Boys’ voice captures the street-level rage. Their prescription — 175cc max or park it — resonates as riders continue to rev up trouble on roads unfit for the fight.