Feb 1 for new traffic law
GOVERNMENT MPS on Thursday stood firm in their support for the new Road Traffic (Reprieve and Nullification of Prescribed Notices) Act, 2023, which becomes effective on Wednesday, February 1.
The new Act will afford road users a period of reprieve to address outstanding matters related to the prescribed notice under section 116 of the Road Traffic Act, 1938, to pay off outstanding fines and nullify demerit points recorded against them prior to February 1, 2023.
Despite several interventions in the debate from Opposition Leader Mark Golding, Government insisted that, with some 70 per cent of the drivers having already met the January 31 deadline to settle their outstanding debts, there is good reason to stick by the deadline, which means that, after that date, all drivers with outstanding debts will lose their chance to nullify outstanding demerit points.
Golding said that he disagreed with the Government’s response to the problem, and its approach that the issues should be decided in the Traffic Court.
“I don’t think that this is a practical way of approaching it, but if that’s the way the Government wants to deal with it, fair enough. But, you can’t give with one hand, and take away with another. You can’t provide a window, and then when they seek to avail themselves of that window. It is not possible to do so because the courts are overwhelmed and can’t give them a date for settling their liabilities,” he said.
Justice Minister Delroy Chuck rejected that argument, noting that for long periods the taxi drivers have failed to pay up outstanding traffic fines, and are still seeking more convenient ways to pay it off.
“The position of the Government is that there is no convenient way, provided you go to court and the court can make a decision,” Chuck responded.
Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang said that there was “absolutely nothing unfair” about the Government’s position.
“We have spent many hours discussing this issue. The individuals who are complaining now are not having five days [to January 31]. They had four years, three years, two years, and they continued to breach the law and disrespect the law. They had [enough] time to go to court,” he insisted.
He pointed out that the Government has given them a fixed time to and they failed to get it done, and could not continue extending the period, which would breakdown the entire ticketing system.