Traffic Department cracks down on offenders

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DURING the past weeks, the Traffic Department has kicked its programmes into high gear with the aim of cracking down on traffic offenders and increasing road safety.
 
Recently, the department conducted a number of operations which resulted in several motorists being ticketed and others issued warnings to comply with traffic rules and regulations or be penalised.
 
SKNVibes understands that the most recent of these operations took place on Friday (Mar. 12) in the Basseterre area, resulting in the issuance of 13 tickets.
 
Information emanating from the department is that most of the tickets were issued to persons – mostly bus drivers - whose vehicles bore unauthorised lights (blue lights) while the other were for defective identification plates and failure to comply with traffic signs.
 
Other operations that took place earlier in the week resulted in the issuance of 24 traffic tickets.  Most of these however, as explained to SKNVibes, were issued to persons who neglected to have their vehicles licensed on time.
 
Additionally, some 20 motorists, whose vehicles’ windows were tinted below the 35 percent prescribed by law, were asked to and had the film removed.
 
The department has expressed that this has been and continues to be a problem with drivers questioning officers’ judgment on whether or not their tint was too dark. The procurement of a calibrated instrument, however, which measures the tint percentage, eliminates the need for reliance on the discretion.
 
The Traffic Department reminds that should persons fail at compliance, their vehicles could be impounded or they could be prosecuted.
 
The department has indicated its intention to continue with these and other programmes and has admonished all road users to adhere to the Federation’s traffic laws, especially as it relates to speed limits, licencing of vehicles and the use of coloured lights.