Motor Vehicles bill not about fines

He was speaking during the debate on the bill at Parliament. He said he would like to see the day when no fines are collected for traffic violations.

“That is what this bill aims to do not to raise fines but it aims to raise our consciousness as a society as to how to treat ourselves and how to treat fellow road users and how to behave as a civilised society. That is the purpose of the legislation and to make our highways safer,” he said. Sharing statistics from the TT Police Service for deaths by road users, Deyalsingh said pedestrians account for 21 per cent of the deaths due to road accidents and cyclists three percent. Passengers in four-wheel vehicles and light vehicles account for 34 per cent of the deaths while drivers of four-wheel cars and light vehicles account for 34 per cent. “So cars and pick up trucks and light vehicles combined account for 71 per cent of the road fatalities. That is a frightening figure and that is what this bill is about. This bill as the Opposition will have you believe is not about revenue generation it’s about life.

It’s about inculcating a culture of safety on our roads because our roads are a place of lawlessness,” he said.

Responding to points raised by Opposition members that the bill interfered with freedom of movement, Deyalsingh said it does not.

“A licence to operate a vehicle is a contract between the individual and the state. You take away that licence because they have broken the law several times it does not therefore interfere with freedom of movement. Even if you own the car and you lose your licence your freedom of movement is not impeded, simply get a driver. Hire a taxi, go by bus but let us not fool the public into thinking that your constitutional rights are being taken away, they are not.”