Sales for mobile hands-free sets have skyrocketed in the last two months with the passing of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Mobile Devices) Regulations 2010. The new law states anyone caught talking on their mobile phone, reading or sending text messages while driving will be fined $1,500 or face three months' imprisonment. With the law coming into effect at midnight tonight, retailers have reported an average of 30 to 40 per cent increase in the sale of hands-free sets between January and this month. Rick de Souza, of Bytevar Ltd, Tunapuna, said yesterday that sales had tripled since January.
"Typical Trinis waited till the last minute to get hands-free sets and if we used to sell one a week, we are now selling three a week," he said. An employee of Hello Communications, St James, said since January there had not been a single day where they had not sold a headset. She said since the beginning of February, they had sold an average of eight hands-free sets a day, increasing sales by 50 per cent. Sandy Singh, of Xtreme Cellular, Barataria, said they were currently out of hands-free sets.
She said all hands-free sets were sold out last week and their business reported a more than 50 per cent increase in sales since January.
Natalie Pollard, of Cell Plus Ltd, Port-of-Spain, said because of the overwhelming demand for hands-free sets, they too were sold out. She said since the start of February, they sold eight sets a day, a near 90 per cent increase in sales. Aseifha Bishop, of Secure Mobile, Port-of-Spain, said: "Since January, we have sold out every week and constantly have to reorder headsets to meet demands." She said sales had picked up more than 50 per cent. Trinidadians, however, were not the only ones preparing for the implementation of the new cellphone law. Stores in Tobago also reported an increased demand for hands-free sets.
Avianne Thompson, of Cellular Planet in Scarborough, said: "Tobagonians are prepared...Since late January, we have been selling about five to six headsets a day which is close to a 30 per cent increase in sales." At a post-Cabinet meeting on July 29, 2010, Minister of Works and Transport Jack Warner announced that Cabinet had approved provisions in the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2010, making it illegal to use a mobile phone while driving. Warner initially stated that the fine for being caught using a mobile phone while driving would be $5,000. However, the fine has been reduced to $1,500. He said the ban of mobile phone use while driving was a method to reduce road distractions leading to accidents.