Zakour offers drivers 'grace,' but not yet

Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Eli Zakour addresses the media during the post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on January 8. - Lincoln Holder

TRANSPORT MINISTER Eli Zakour said in the near future errant drivers will be able to seek grace for their vehicular defects but said this would not yet apply and also would not be applied retroactively for offences done now.

He was speaking at the post-Cabinet media briefing on December 8 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.

He elaborated on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's statement on January 7 promising to soon go to Parliament to legislate that drivers get either three or seven days to fix their defects which were listed as a fixed penalty notice warning system in a ninth schedule.

Offences to be fixed within three days include no identification lights on vehicles at night and the number of passengers not printed on a taxi. Drivers with a broken wind-shield, smoky vehicle or a noisy vehicle get seven days to comply.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Nicholas Morris interjected to say MPs would next meet in late January where Zakour's proposals would be legislated.

Zakour said that when the new law takes effect, an errant motorist charged by the police for a schedule nine office would then get either three or seven days to fix their vehicle and must then go to a police station to show evidence, upon which their charge would be cancelled. However, he said grace would not take effect until the law was passed, nor would it be retroactive to current offenders.

In his address he said Cabinet had just approved amendments to the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act to create mandatory fixed penalty violations for defective vehicles, unlike previously when it has been discretionary and had varied throughout TT as to what was taking place on the streets with discretion given to individual licensing inspectors.

Zakour cited 12,100 fixed penalty offences in 2024 and 10,600 in 2025, details which he said the government had not previously had while on the campaign trail.

He explained the new system but said it was subject to change.

"If you are stopped by an officer – a police constable, a licensing officer or a traffic warden – and there is a defect on your vehicle – one of these 18 items I just mentioned – you will get a written or printed warning. You have three or seven days to fix the defect.

"Once it is fixed, you will go to any police station or licensing office in the country, present yourself and your vehicle.

"Once it is confirmed the defect has been fixed, you will get a written receipt that you will upload to a portal." He said the police officers would also submit that receipt.

"So it is a two-tier system. And the warning will be cancelled.

"If you do not present yourself, the warning automatically becomes a fixed penalty notice."

Newsday pressed as to when drivers could access the grace period.

"When you are stopped and a defect has been identified, one of these 18, you will be given a warning, a printed warning.

"From that moment you will have three or seven working days to have the defect addressed."

Asked if the pending legislation would have retroactive effect, Zakour said no.

Newsday asked if drivers could access the grace period only after MPs had met and legislated in January.

Zakour said, "Yes. We have to amend the legislation in the Lower House and then the Upper House. Thereafter, Mr Douglas."

Newsday asked if this system would create a logistical nightmare of drivers flooding into police stations and asked why didn't he instead give a two-week blanket amnesty now for people to fix their vehicles.

Zakour replied, "I am asking all motorists to please ensure that there are no defects on your vehicle. You have a responsibility as a motorist to ensure there are no defects on your vehicle."

Otherwise, he was asked about complaints by some drivers that their driving permit had expired on January 4, a Sunday, yet they had to pay a $600/$650 late fee on top of the $500 renewal fee when they turned up the day after, a Monday, to renew their permit.

He replied that drivers could have renewed their permit up to 30 days before expiry and could have renewed it online.

Talking about a hike in the quantum of various fines, he said previous level of fines had lost their effectiveness.

Zakour confirmed claims in Persad-Bissessar's statement about a small minority of officials abusing drivers.

Saying a small group of police constables and licensing officers had been harassing people, he vowed to hold talks on the matter.