The Police Service has recommended an increase in the 80 kmph speed limit for motorists on the nation’s highways and hope that the laws can be enacted by January, next year.
Speaking at the Police Service weekly press briefing yesterday, Supt Mathura Singh, head of the Highway and Traffic Patrol said a proposal was sent to Works and Transport Minister Fitzgerald Hinds which also includes significant reform of the traffic ticket system.
The proposal to increase in the speed limit follows an online petition earlier this year for the speed limit on the highways to move from 80 kmph to 120 kmph. The group behind the petition, Safe Drivers for Efficiency, called on Hinds to modernise road traffic laws.
The petition came just days after speed guns were handed over to police in April. For the year 6,740 speeding tickets were issued to speeding drivers.
There are currently six of the speed monitoring devices in the country and Singh said 12 stationary speed guns will be erected throughout the country to ticket speeding drivers automatically. Those drivers will receive their traffic tickets in the mail.
Singh said he did not want to divulge much information concerning the document until it is approved by the Minister and later enacted. He did not disclose the proposed speed limit of the Police Service.
“The Police Service and the Ministry of Woks and Transport have had several consultations and a policy document has been sent to the Minister for amending the legislative frame work governing the fixed penalty ticket system and the introduction of a de-merit point system,” Singh said.
The document, Singh said, also dealt with increasing the weight class for goods vehicle allowing them to travel up to 80 kmph. At present goods vehicles and pick-up vans, can limited to driving to 65 kmph.
Singh said the new system allows for traffic tickets sent to errant motorist via mail and the same would apply for police, licence officers and traffic wardens.
Singh said the remote traffic camera which have been tested near Hyatt Regency Hotel, in Port-of-Spain will also be implemented at all traffic lights catch those who breach traffic lights.
Singh said in the case of drivers using false license plates, the three agencies will be able to detect and deal with that issue as well. The merit system will also address repeat driving under the influence drivers and driver’s can be disqualified from driving permanently.
Also speaking at the press briefing was ASP Harrinarine Rampath, who said there have been a culture change in drivers as there were decrease in motorists charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. He said so far, 1,005 drivers have been charged with DUI offences for the year and for the same period last year there were 1,325 offences.
He said that there was a 17 per cent decrease in road deaths from 115 last year to 96 for the consecutive period this year.