Lawless drivers will be captured on camera and fined under government's new red light camera system.Speaking at Wednesdays post-Cabinet briefing, Al-Rawi said the Judiciary, the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Attorney General's Office and other entities have been working on a package of laws to treat with criminality on roads and police man hours in court.
"We have been working assiduously on a package of laws to treat with criminality on the roads, to treat with the man hours in the courts and the man hours of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.”
He said there are roughly 23,000 cases in court every year in the Traffic Division, and of that, roughly 30 percent of those result in a conviction or fine while "the vast majority, approximately 70 percent of cases just fall apart".
“Our policemen have to turn up in court 100 percent of the time for 30 percent of the success…that is police man hours at risk and cost. While police could be engaged in more serious matters, the traffic court has absorbed a significant amount of time," he said.
The legislation seeks to amend the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act and identify certain offences as traffic violations, which will be met by a penalty which will require fines.
Proposed amendments include electronic payment of tickets, the identification of certain offences as violations, the establishment of red light camera systems and the reform of fixed penalty systems, which he says will free up policing and judicial time.
The digitised system includes the installation of red light camera systems at certain traffic lights.
The red light camera system will take a photo of the driver's license plate along with details of the violation, either by mail or otherwise.
Drivers can either contest the fines in court or they can pay the cash amounts online at approved centres, Al-Rawi said.
"If you break a red light you will get a picture taken and you will receive a citation in the mail or otherwise, telling you that you have done this, and it will be met by a sanction which will be collected by way of citation."
Further, failure to pay or challenge the fine will result in drivers being unable to renew their registrations until the fines have been paid.
“If you don’t pay your violations it will be attached to your licensing and vehicle registrations.”
"Bottom line is you can run but you can't hide."
“When you come to renew your registrations, you will not be permitted to transact the business until you've cleared the arrears.”
He said this will free up court time and processing time and assist in bringing in lost revenue.
“Any day, any time that you break these traffic lights, you are going to be spotted and you are going to be known.”
Further information on the red light camera systems will be released shortly.
Al-Rawi says this will bring tangible results and increased efficiency.
“What the population wants to see is results, and we’re prepared to show Trinidad and Tobago the results of our hard work," he said.
The Bill will go to Parliament on Friday.
by Alina Doodnath (
http://www.looptt.com/content/smile-law ... ght-camera)
