Pestilent bikers in for an awakening when new Road Traffic Act becomes law
Removing the silencers from motorcycles constitutes a breach that is drawing the attention of the police, says head of the Elletson Road-based Police Traffic Division, Senior Superintendent Calvin Allen.
He told The Gleaner yesterday that the new Traffic Act could be the perfect tonic to stem the wanton indiscipline being practised by motorists, and warn bikers in particular that their days of being a nuisance is quickly coming to an end.
“We have taken note of this particular practise, both in terms of the noise that it produces and the fact that it breaches the Road Traffic Act, which is why we have started removing registration plates from these vehicles,” Allen said.
“These people need to be touched where it hurts; either in their pockets or in some other way, and it should be known that the new Traffic Act will have serious teeth in this regard. The public is being drowned daily by the noise from these pestilence and we are going to put an end to it, because the operators have no regard for public safety,” he said.
The level of indiscipline on the nation’s streets has hit catastrophic highs, even after approximately 508,910 traffic tickets were served on motorists for various offences in 2017, according to Allen, who vows to put an end to the “pestilence” of noisy bikes.
The police say more attention will be brought to bear on bikers and illegal taxi operators, and to renew efforts to rid the streets of public transportation with pitchblack tints and heavy music.
“Some of these motorists, especially illegal operators, are behaving in a barbaric fashion. Every rule in the book is broken on their account, and as a civilised people we cannot condone, nor can we ignore, this wild practice on our roads any further,” Allen said.
He also warned motorists who fail to adhere to rules that govern designated silent zones, noting that breaches of this nature are not only inexcusable but punishable by law, which will be enforced with gusto.