Arrests, fines and even jail time are possible penalties for those caught and arrested with glass bottles during Carnival this year.
The police have warned that the Carnival (Prohibition of Glass Bottles) Regulations, 2020, will be enforced this Carnival.
The Regulations are made by the President under Section 5 of the Public Holidays and Festivals Act.
They specify those who are authorised to have glass bottles in their possession, and how close to a Carnival event those authorised persons are allowed to be in possession of the glass bottles.
The Regulations, which will be fully activated at 4:00 am on Carnival Monday and expire at midnight on Carnival Tuesday, also detail the extent of penalties for those arrested for having glass bottles during the prohibited period.
Details of the Regulations follow…
THE CARNIVAL (PROHIBITION OF GLASS BOTTLES) REGULATIONS, 2020
Citation
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Carnival (Prohibition of Glass Bottles) Regulations, 2020.
Interpretation
2. In these Regulations–
“authorised person” means–
(a) a person holding a licence under the Liquor Licences Act;
(b) a person holding a special event licence issued under the Special Event Order, 2020 made pursuant to section 47C(2) of the Liquor Licences Act;
(c) a vendor holding a food badge issued by the Ministry of Health;
(d) a server of a band registered under the Carnival Regulations, 2020;
(e) an employee of–
(i) a Municipal Corporation;
(ii) the CEPEP Company Limited;
(iii) Trinidad and Tobago Solid Waste Management Company Limited (SWMCOL), who is on duty during the period of Carnival; or
(f) an employee of a manufacturer or distributor of beverages in glass bottles, who is on duty during the period of Carnival;
“Carnival event” means events occurring during the period of Carnival in Port-of-Spain, St. James, San Juan, Santa Cruz, Maracas Bay, Tunapuna, Arouca, Arima, San Rafael, Maracas St. Joseph, Sangre Grande, Rio Claro, Mayaro, Chaguanas, Couva, Freeport, San Fernando, Princes Town, Fyzabad, Siparia, Penal, Cedros, Point Fortin, La Brea, Santa Flora, Scarborough, Crown Point and Roxborough;
“glass bottle” means a bottle which is made entirely or partly of glass;
“period of Carnival” means the period commencing at 4.00 a.m. on Monday 24th February, 2020 and ending at midnight on Tuesday 25th February,2020;
“police officer” means a member of the Police Service within the meaning of section 5(11)(a)of the Act;
“public place” means any highway, street, road, bridge, square, park or other open space, other than a beach, to which the public has, or is generally or conditionally granted access;
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“the Act” means the Public Holidays and Festivals Act;
“vicinity” means a radius of one hundred metres from the Carnival event.
Prohibition of glass bottles
3. (1) No person, other than an authorised person, shall have a glass bottle with him, in or within the vicinity of, a Carnival event in any public place during the period of Carnival.
(2) No person, other than an authorised person, shall serve or consume a beverage from a glass bottle, in or within the vicinity of, a Carnival event in any public place during the period of Carnival.
(3) A person who contravenes sub-regulation (1) or (2) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars and imprisonment for six months.
Seizure and disposal of glass bottles
4. (1) Where a person is found committing an offence under regulation 3, a police officer may, without proceeding to arrest that person, seize and take away any glass bottle which that person has with him.
(2) A glass bottle which is seized under sub-regulation (1) shall, in accordance with section 5(8) of the Act, be forfeited and kept in safe custody by the Police until disposed of in such manner as the Minister may direct.
Duration
5. These Regulations shall come into force at 4.00 a.m. on Monday 24th February, 2020 and expire at midnight on Tuesday 25th February, 2020.