Demerit points altered, vehicle inspection expanded

THE government has scrapped most of the demerit point system, except for six criminal offences. The number of demerit points needed for a license to be suspended will remain the same.

Speaking at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Red House, Port of Spain, on July 10, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour said under the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act 48:50, there are currently 99 traffic offences and violations, of which 69 carry demerit points. Of these, 63 are violations and six are criminal offences.

He said Cabinet had approved the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Amendment to the 9th Schedule Order 2025. He said once he signed this order, which would happen soon, the 9th Schedule would be amended by deleting the demerit points for all violations except items six and 23-27, ie, the six criminal offences.

“Those six criminal offences are: driving while disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving permit; driving when under the influence of drug; driving or being in charge of a vehicle while blood alcohol levels exceed prescribed limit; failure to provide a specimen of breath or blood; failure to submit breath analysis or wilful alternation of concentration of alcohol in his breath or blood; and careless driving.”

He said Cabinet was discussing what would happen to people who had previously been charged under the system

Zakour also said Cabinet had approved amendments to Regulation 27 of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Regulations Chapter 48:50 to expand the vehicle inspection framework to increase the number of vehicle testing stations.

He said currently private vehicles with a manufacture date, not date of registration, of five years or older, are required to have their vehicles inspected at a required testing station. After the first inspection, vehicles are required to be tested every two years thereafter.

He said vehicles with a weight of three tonnes and over are required to be brought into a licensing compound to be inspected only at Caroni. Commercial vehicles, registered T, H, R and others, are required to be brought into licensing office for inspection.

He said with these amendments, vehicle testing stations will include public hire vehicles under Section 2 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, with a tare weight not exceeding 2,270 kilogrammes, including taxis, hired cars and other vehicles licensed to carry people for hire.

The second amendment will authorise the examiners of the Vehicle Maintenance Corporation of TT (VMCOTT) to inspect all taxis, regardless of tare weight and all goods vehicles, exceeding 3,200 kilogrammes.

“This would immediately relieve Licensing Division of close to 50,000 inspections a year. It means that people can go to any one of the 79 inspection stations throughout the country. Commercial vehicles are inspected every year.”

Zakour said Cabinet was also discussing possible regulation of private cars being used for hire, including illegal taxis and Rideshare vehicles.