Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour has announced approved changes to the demerit points system under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act.
Speaking at Thursday’s Post-Cabinet Media Briefing, he said there are currently 99 violations or offences under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act 48:50, with 69 carrying demerit points – 63 of which are violations and six being criminal offences. He said Cabinet will remove the 63 violations and retain the six criminal offences.
“Once this order is signed by me, the 9th Schedule of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act will be amended by deleting the demerit points for all violations, except for items 6, 23 to 27. The six criminal offences demerit points will remain. Those six are driving while disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving permit, driving while under the influence of drugs, driving or being in charge of a vehicle with your blood alcohol level exceeding the limit, failure to provide a specimen of breath or blood, failure to submit for breath analysis, and careless driving.”
In addition, Cabinet has approved amendments to Regulation 27 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations to expand the vehicle inspection framework.
Minister Zakour said vehicle testing stations will now include PH vehicles with a tare weight not exceeding 2,270 kilogrammes, inclusive of taxis, hired cars, and other passenger vehicles.
“Moving forward, vehicle testing stations will now include public hire vehicles under Section 2 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act with a tare weight not exceeding 2,270 kilogrammes. These would include taxis, hired cars, and other passenger vehicles licensed to carry persons for hire. Two, authorising the examiners of VMCOTT to inspect all taxis, regardless of tare weight, and all goods vehicles exceeding 3,200 kilogrammes. This would immediately relieve License Division of close to 50,000 inspections a year.”