Shastri Boodan
President of the Trinidad and Tobago Automotive Dealers Association (TTADA), Visham Babwah, says eight-year-old foreign used cars are unsuitable for the domestic market and could create serious long-term problems for consumers.
Speaking with Guardian Media on Saturday at his P and V Automotive headquarters on Mulchan Sieuchand Road, Chaguanas, Babwah said the government should revert to the previously announced policy of allowing six-year-old vehicles, as outlined in the 2025–2026 national budget. The announcement was made at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre on Thursday.
Babwah warned that the shift to eight-year-old imports could strain both buyers and financial institutions. He noted that banks may be reluctant to finance vehicles of that age, while insurance companies may refuse to offer fully comprehensive coverage.
According to him, the policy change increases the risk of Trinidad and Tobago becoming a “dumping ground” for defective or deteriorated vehicles.
“We had discussions with MP Neil Gosine before the budget and we agreed, it was a sincere discussion with Minister Gosine, that we were not going to go for eight years. We were going to stick with six years for gasoline, diesel and CNG vehicles, and that was what was announced in the budget,” Babwah said. “We are quite surprised by this change from six years to eight years. A vehicle that is eight years old could have a lot of problems, and people could end up buying cars that are not suitable for our roads.”
He called on the Minister of Trade to reconsider the decision on the allowable age of used vehicle imports.
Babwah added that although the government increased the import quota for licensed dealers, the gesture had little practical value since access to foreign exchange remains one of the most difficult challenges in the industry.
