THE Supermarket Association of Trinidad and Tobago (SATT) is calling for a safer transportation system in the country.
It wants the charge of kidnapping to be non-bailable and the establishment of a public sex offender registry.
In a release on Monday, SATT stated that it shared the grief of the murders of Ashanti Riley and Andrea Bharatt.
It stated that violence against women continued to be a disturbing trend and it felt strongly about the safety of the women working in its industry.
SATT stated, “We also note that in these tragic occurrences, public transport was being used and therefore there needs to be more regulation and oversight to avoid what can only be described as a deeply worrying situation for our employees and customers alike.
“A safer transport network needs to exist than the one presently in place.
Many times, our employees having to travel home after working hours are vulnerable to criminal elements and we have adopted the policy by our members to provide transport where necessary to avoid such incidents at no small costs to our members.”
It called on the powers that be to prove the necessary tools like CCTV cameras to help the police discharge their duties effectively.
SATT also had a message for the government.
It stated, “The present administration has to appreciate that with the surge in these violent crimes, this deeply affects consumer confidence leading to an economic downturn which cannot be good for the nation as a whole.”
SATT also called for sexual and kidnapping offences to become non-bailable.
It stated, “We also adopt the view that a public sex offender registry will greatly increase public confidence in the identification of such perpetrators with several benefits outlined in the post mortem of these tragedies had they existed in the first place.
“For these same high level heinous crimes, court hearings should be expedited to the point where virtual hearings can be arranged and steep fines put in place to discourage absenteeism of any party frustrating the due process of the court.”
