Robert Lalah, Staff Reporter
MINISTER OF Transport and Works, Robert Pickersgill, says the recent amendments to the Road Traffic Act are reaping success. He said that as indiscipline and discourtesy become more prevalent on the nation's roads, stringent measures will become increasingly important if order is to be maintained.
The Minister made the comments yesterday while addressing members of the Caymanas business district in Spanish Town, St. Catherine.
The recent amendments authorised the Transport Authority to seize motor vehicles being used repeatedly as illegal taxis.
Mr. Pickersgill said that during a recent operation conducted by the Transport Authority and the police, 358 vehicles were seized, including 98 cars that were being used as illegal taxis. "Two hundred and sixty persons were also charged for operating contrary to their licenses," he said.
The minister also said that between April and August of this year, 9,312 drivers were prosecuted for breaches of the Road Traffic Act and 1,317 vehicles were seized. The fines imposed for the impounded vehicles, he said, exceeded $9 million.
Mr. Pickersgill emphasised that the police will continue to make their presence felt on the roads, paying special attention to defects such as faulty tyres, broken windscreens and the playing of loud, lewd music.
In the meantime, Mr. Pickersgill urged motorists to urgently employ conservation methods, in light of surging gas prices. He said carpooling as well as utilising public transportation will help cut fuel costs and bring the nation's energy bill significantly lower.
