Diplomatic community to get special number plates

In a symbolic gesture, Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz, yesterday handed the black and yellow number “DM” plate to Suriname’s Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Fidelia Graand-Galon, at the Hyatt Regency in one of his last official public acts prior to demitting office before Monday’s General Election.

Graand-Galon has been Suriname’s diplomatic representative to TT over the past eight years.

Cadiz told Newsday yesterday that the legislation and regulations for the number plates, and the authorisation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were already in place.

Special provision was made for diplomatic vehicles in the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2013 which authorises the introduction of the special registration marks on vehicles for this purpose.

A diplomat is defined in the amendment as, “a diplomatic agent, consular officer, or an official of an international organisation or agency, who is certified in writing by the Minister with responsibility for foreign affairs as being entitled to enjoy privileges and immunities under the Privileges and Immunities (Diplomatic, Consular and International Organisation) Act.” “It was now in the hands of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the diplomatic missions of the processes which they must follow, if they want to have their vehicles registered for number plates,” he said. The missions and international organisation, Cadiz said, will have to apply to the Licensing Office, after which they will be outfitted.

Provisions are also in place, he said, for the training of uniformed officers and traffic wardens to identify the number plates, and how to deal with members of the diplomatic community, for issues of traffic violations and other offences.

The initial “DM” stand for Diplomatic Mission, “CP” is for Consular Post, and “IO” is for International Organisation.

He said that since he took over the transport portfolio in 2013, requests were made for the number plates by the diplomatic community, and he was happy that he could have made it possible even though it was on the eve of the country’s general election. Requests for the provision for the diplomatic plates, he said, had been made since TT gained independence in 1962.