Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC says the government will go to Parliament in the coming weeks with reforms to give drivers a grace period to fix vehicle defects before certain fines are enforced. However, until such time, motorists must pay their fines.
In a statement on X, the Prime Minister said she has taken this decision after Transport Minister Eli Zakour and Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander provided information to her showing that “a small minority of traffic wardens, licensing officers and TTPS officers have been abusing the ticketing system and terrorising law-abiding citizens.”
She said she will not let “this wicked behaviour continue and must now move to provide protection to law-abiding citizens from delinquent drivers as well as misbehaving law enforcement officers.”
Among the offences listed in the Ninth Schedule and the proposed timeframe to fix them are:—
#35 – No identification lights for the illumination of identification marks on vehicles at night – 3 DAYS
#37 – Number of passengers to be carried not printed on right front door of taxi – 3 DAYS
#39 – No Tare and M.G.W painted on vehicles – 3 DAYS
#40 – Vehicle with defective fittings (Licensing Authority has confirmed that several defects such as damaged windscreens etc. are covered under this violation) – 7 DAYS
#41 – Vehicle without silencers or fitted with cut outs – 3 DAYS
#42 – Unauthorised lights to front or rear of vehicles – 3 DAYS
#43 – Unauthorised letters and figures on vehicle – 3 DAYS
#44 – Vehicles without two head lamps – 3 DAYS
#45 – Vehicle without park lights – 3 DAYS
#46 – Vehicle without tail lights – 3 DAYS
#48 – No “left hand drive” notice affixed to appropriate vehicle – 3 DAYS
#63 – Vehicle without horn – 3 DAYS
#64 – Permitting excess sparks, smoke or visible vapour from vehicle – 7 DAYS
#72 – Vehicle without reflecting mirror – 3 DAYS
#74 – Use of noisy vehicle – 7 DAYS
#76 – Use of vehicle with no windshield wiper or defective wiper – 3 DAYS
#79 – Public Service vehicle without spare tyre – 3 DAYS
#82 – Placing of advertisement on side of window of taxi – 3 DAYS
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar took note of the long lines outside Licensing Divisions as motorists seek to correct vehicle defects following amendments made to the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act, which came into effect on January 1st.
She said there will be no reduction in traffic fines, and strict enforcement will continue until these reforms are made in the Parliament.
“The vast majority of citizens who were ticketed knew about their vehicle defects and expired documentation well in advance of being ticketed and therefore fully deserved their fines for their lawless behaviour. The entitlement, indiscipline and misdirected priorities of some lawless citizens who inconvenience and endanger law-abiding citizens will not be tolerated anymore. No discipline will be met with no tolerance. There will absolutely be NO REDUCTION in traffic fines and strict enforcement will continue until these reforms are made. The law will be applied equally across the country, it does not matter if you are UNC, PNM or any other grouping, it does not matter if you are rich or poor, if you are from Debe or Diego Martin, if you break the traffic laws, ANYBODY GETS IT !!!”