This is the day that the Lord has made and the new Road Traffic Act is poised to stifle the rejoicing of motorists with some eye-opening fines and offences.

The new Road Traffic Act was birthed on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, after being in labour in Gordon House for about five years. Traffic court staff, police officers, and most of all, motorists who ran afoul of the old Act experienced ‘daymares’ and, in some cases, nightmares in the days leading up to the birth of the new Act.

Despite the length of time during which the new Act gestated, its birth was not so welcomed, especially by those who make a living by driving as the fines contained therein will wipe away smiles and cause water to flow from the eyes.

Under the new Act it is an offence to, among other things, use wireless communication devices to view, send, or compose an electronic message while driving; smoke ganja while driving; and operate motorcycles with high decibel levels. Additionally, the fines for most offences have been increased. One popular offence, that of driving without a seat belt, saw a 300 per cent increase.

Unfortunately, the public education campaign has been slow in coming and is similar to the pace at which a turtle and a snail would compete. The information seems like a State sceret, with the authorities rolling out bits and pieces of information in their own time. This should not be the case, the public should be fully aware of the contents of the new Act, not days before its release, but months in advance.

It is funny that the police, who are charged with the responsibility of enforcing the various requirements of the Act, are not fully aware of the contents either. It is, nevertheless, being touted as the tool that will reduce traffic accidents and fatalities on the roads.

But is that the solution to our road debacle?

Setting laws without a proper system of enforcement is tantamount to a sweet pepper. The Government is becoming one of actionless talk, with the aim of scaring people into compliance.

The situation with which we are now faced is one in which the good will now suffer for taxi and bus operators, who, by their nasty behaviour on the roads, have caused the birth of a more stringent Road Traffic Act. The authorities should have looked at having a different set of laws for public passenger operators, as they are the ones amassing hundreds of tickets.

The Government has been at the drawing board for some time now, and to surprise the public with this Road Traffic Act seems like a Tik Tok prank. This new Act is not ready for the road, and more than anything is rubbing butter in the mouths of corrupt police officers who are already in a tug of war with the Finance Minister Dr Nigel Ckarke over their monthly stipend.

There is need for more public education so that the layperson can understand. Also, the Government needs to focus on the real problem, which, to a large extent, lies at the feet of public passenger vehicle operators.

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