The Demerit Point System for traffic violations would be on stream in just over a month, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan announced yesterday at the launch of the “U-turn System” at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom.
The new system will allow the authorities to pick up on habitual offenders of traffic laws and have their licenses suspended.
It will be implemented from March 2 along with Traffic Ticketing (Fixed Penalty) Notices and Red Light Enforcement systems introduced in the revised Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act.
The new fixed penalty system allows for the sharing of real-time information sharing via digital devices, while the Red Light Enforcement System will pick up on motorists who violate the red light.
These initiatives are designed to improve compliance on the nation’s roads and save lives.
The majority of vehicular accidents and road fatalities in T&T are the result of speeding.
Not included in yesterday’s launch, however, was the Spot Speed Camera System which will detect drivers who break the speed limit.
Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi said legislation on the system is currently before Parliament and should be dealt with within a month.
Sinanan later explained: “We will go live with whatever we can go live with. It’s a process we would continue to roll out . . . over the next couple of months. You will see everything being rolled out.”
Al-Rawi said the camera systems will aid in the fight against crime.
“It means that with RF tags, with spot speed cameras, we now have digital evidence of number plate, owner, location, time and therefore evidence in a court of law,” he said.
Arrive Alive founder Sharon Inglefield urged stakeholders to do their part for the system to have its intended impact of reducing road traffic accidents and fatalities. She also emphasized the importance of the Spot Speed cameras, adding that systems must be properly maintained and officers issued with enough fixed penalty machines.
Sinanan said in the coming months some facilities will come on stream as part of the programme, including a mobile bus service to take licensing services into rural communities, a disabled-accessible parking system, establishment of a clear regulatory framework for vehicle tints, RFID license plates and drugalizers.
Further information on the new systems can be found on the Ministry of Works and Transport’s various online platforms.