Sinanan: Drivers given more than 19,000 e-tickets since May

Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan said more than 19,000 tickets have been issued to drivers since the implementation of the UTurn E-ticketing platform, which introduced the demerit point system, in May.

He said 7,511 tickets were for traffic-signal breaches, 8,075 for seat belt violations, and 4,348 for speeding.

“The numbers don’t lie,” he said.

“They tell the tale of road users who disregard their own safety and the safety of others. They behave as if an accident cannot happen to them.”

Sinanan was speaking at a virtual event in support of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, hosted by non-profit organisation Arrive Alive. The day is commemorated annually on the third Sunday in November.

The event paid tribute to road-crime victims with a candlelight vigil and a minute of silence.

Sinanan paid tribute to first responders and police officers who deal with the aftermath of road fatalities. He said more awareness of road safety is also needed.

He said statistics from the World Health Organization said the world loses someone to road traffic incidents every 24 seconds.

“Fortunately for TT the statistics are not as grim as the global outlook. In fact, our nation has seen a steady decline in road traffic  (incidents), with 2018 showing the lowest...road traffic deaths since 1958.”

He said this decline is due to the introduction of legislation and policies and the support of the travelling public for “improved road culture.”

Sinanan said the ministry is “continuously reviewing the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act to implement further policies and amendments to continue evolving our road network (and) make it safer for all travellers.”

He also said new laws on window tinting on vehicles and red-light camera enforcement systems are “well on (their) way to being institutionalised.”

Sinanan also said the number of road fatalities and incidents recorded by the police service for this year so far reflects a decrease in comparison to last year.

He said there was a 26 per cent decline in road-traffic deaths and a 23 per cent decrease in road -traffic accidents.

President of BHP Vincent Pereira said the company has sponsored Arrive Alive for over eight years and has worked with all stakeholders to “implement measures which keep us all safe on the road.”

He said while the company is seeing the positive effect of its efforts, the team cannot rest.

“One road death is one too many. We must keep up our efforts until that number is zero.”