Demerit points system on hold

Errant drivers have been given a one-month bligh by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan. The much anticipated Demerit Points System, which was supposed to go into effect on Monday, was put off and will now start on April 02.

Sinanan said implementation of the system was postponed to give the public time to get accustomed to the system. Sinanan said the ministry decided not to start the demerit points system until April 2 and for the rest of this month, drivers will be given warning tickets.

“We want to show the public if you do this, this is going to happen to you.” Sinanan was speaking at the handing over of new hand-held mobile traffic ticketing devices and carbon fixed penalty traffic books at the ministry’s office Richmond Street. Three hundred devices were distributed and the minister said this project cost $9 million.

Police received 110 police systems, the licensing department received 65 and traffic warden division received 20 systems. More units will be distributed throughout this week. The driver’s information on the central database can be accessed on the traffic ticketing device.

The new Traffic Ticketing System forms part of the Demerit Points System. Sinanan said the number plate system is currently in the evaluation process. The ministry is also working on a tint system and a disable parking system is expected to be rolled out by next month.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Jayson Forde deputy commissioner of police said the new system will ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability. He said it will also enhance the crime-fighting initiative and lessen the number of stolen vehicles around TT.

Chief traffic warden Randolph Protain said this system will provide better leverage when dealing with road safety. He said there will be issuing tickets that will be a faster process and will ease offices of present challenges from the old carbon book. He said, “It will preventing us from attending court daily and not only will we have the opportunity to issue more tickets- because of the real-time data of the driver- we will be more visible on the roads.”

Sinanan said this move is a 20-year-old journey of improvement. He said this country had spent hundreds of millions to get to this point, “until we reached a point where we were just spending with no results. “This puts us on par with any developed country in the world and it will transform the way we look at the road,” he said.

Sinanan said this system is more than ticketing and fines and penalties. “Fines and penalties are not good I’ll be happy if we collect no more for fines and penalties infringements. Over the last four years, we have had an increase in lives lost. We are one of the few countries that can boast we are doing all we can to bring the road fatality to zero.”

“It’s not about going out there and charging everybody. The system will be more friendly for all used as. You don’t have to get a ticket in Tobago and have to go back there to pay it.