375 people caught driving without a driver’s license

The Traffic Control Team of the Police Force Suriname (KPS) reportedly caught 375 people driving a vehicle without a driver’s license in the first quarter of this year. The perpetrators were caught in Paramaribo and the surrounding areas. Inspector Lloyd Tolud, head of the VHT, told Times of Suriname that one striking fact is that most of the perpetrators are young people in the age group 16 to 30. The fine for driving without a driver’s license is SRD 750. Reports indicate that sometimes the parents of these young people are also in the car. The inspector disapproved of the fact that parents and caretakers allow others to drive their car even though they know that the other persons do not have a driver’s license. “Those people lack the knowledge on how to behave in traffic which means that they unnecessarily put their lives and the lives of others at risk. They often show off by exceeding the maximum speed limit. They also do not know the meaning of the traffic signs. They often overtake other vehicles because they do not see vehicles coming from the opposite direction even though there are clear lines that prohibit overtaking cars. Tolud explained that it “is cheaper to put some money aside in order to pay for driving lessons. The theoretical and practical part of the driving exam each cost SRD 140. Some driving schools charge SRD 400 while others charge SRD 500. The driving schools also charge between SRD 75 and SRD 100 for practical lessons of 1 hour.