...Foreign-used car dealers: ‘Don’t blame us’

“We are not to be blamed for the nation’s traffic woes,” said a car dealer operating in ‘the Bamboo’ — a collection of foreign-used cars and car-parts shops off the CR Highway in Valsayn.

He said government should have forseen the traffic congestion problem years ago, noting that dealers saw an opportunity in the used-car business and “ran with it.”

Car dealers said they should not be penalised for government’s short-sightedness. Most dealers who spoke to Newsday said however, they were willing to meet with Works and Transport Colm Imbert to find an amicable solution.

Asked whether profits would be affected by government’s intended decision, dealers said with the price of new cars, most people did not have an alternative. “Until the price of new cars come down, it’s not going to affect us,” a dealer in Chaguanas said.

But one new-car dealer said the price of new cars was affordable, noting financing packages are now more customer-friendly. He took the view that if government was serious about encouraging new cars on the road, they should consider removing restrictions on motor vehicle tax.

“If that was reduced or taken off, you would see a significant increase in sales,” he said, noting that the taxes new-car dealers pay are passed on to the consumer.

In an interview with reporters following the opening of the Diego Martin Highway extension, Works Minister Colm Imbert said he was going to have consultation with the foreign-used car dealers as well as the TT Automobiles Association and the general public before any decision is made.

Rae Furlonge, Traffic and Transportation Engineer, said he welcomed the idea of reducing the number of cars on the road but warned that curbing foreign-used vehicles was just the tip of the iceberg.

Imbert also talked about using carpooling to reduce the traffic congestion and Furlonge said while this was workable, it also had to be holistic and done in tandem with developing public transport.