Caption: Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour

By Alicia Chamely

CABINET has approved amendments to Sections 80, 82, 88A and 88D of the Motor Vehicles Road Traffic Act, allowing for the introduction of a mandatory fixed-penalty warning for certain traffic violations.

Speaking on Thursday at the post cabinet press briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour announced the amendments would be taken to parliament when the house reopens in two weeks’ time.

Noting the amendments covered 18 offenses, Zakour stated, “Currently, if you’re stopped by constables, TTPS, officers, traffic wardens or licensed officers, and you have a blown light, for example, the officers have a discretion to give you a fixed penalty warning.”

“But this is not consistent throughout Trinidad and Tobago, this (the amended Act) will be going to Parliament in the next couple of weeks, and once it’s law, it will be mandatory to give a fixed penalty,” he explained.

Explaining how the warning system would work, Zakour said if a driver was stopped for one of the 18 defects targeted in the amended Act, rather than receiving a fine, they will be issued a printed warning.

This warning, he stated, allows the driver three to seven working days, depending on the defect, to correct the problem.

Zakour said, “Once it’s fixed, you will go to any police station or license office in the country, present yourself and your vehicle. Once it’s confirmed the defect has been fixed, you’ll get a written receipt that you will upload to our portal and the police officers as well, will submit a receipt to a system to a central unit, and the warning will be cancelled.”

He said, however, “If you do not present yourself, the warning automatically becomes a fixed penalty notice.”

Zakour reminded the public, these amendments had not yet been enacted into law, therefore one can still receive a fixed penalty for the 18 offenses.

The following offense set to amended to provide for the fixed penalty warnings are:

• Item 35: Absence of identification lights for the illumination of vehicle identification marks at night — three days to remedy the defect.
• Item 37: Number of passengers not printed on the right-hand side door of a taxi — three days.
• Item 39: Absence of TARE and MGW markings on a vehicle — three days.
• Item 40: Vehicle with defective fittings, such as a windscreen — seven days.
• Item 41: Vehicle without a silencer or fitted with cut-outs — three days.
• Item 42: Unauthorised lights fitted to the front or rear of a vehicle — three days.
• Item 43: Unauthorised letters or figures displayed on a vehicle — three days.
• Item 44: Vehicle without two headlamps — three days.
• Item 45: Vehicle without parking lights — three days.
• Item 46: Vehicle without tail lights — three days.
• Item 48: Absence of a left-hand drive notice affixed to the appropriate vehicle — three days.
• Item 63: Vehicle without a horn — three days.
• Item 64: Permitting excess sparks, smoke, or visible vapour from a vehicle — seven days.
• Item 72: Vehicle without a reflective mirror — three days.
• Item 74: Use of a noisy vehicle — seven days.
• Item 76: Use of a vehicle without windscreen wipers or with defective wipers — three days.
• Item 79: Public service vehicle without a spare tyre — three days.
• Item 82: Placement of advertisements on the side windows of a taxi — three days.