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Vehicular illegalities will be targeted – Traffic Chief
Kaieteur News in Wednesday’s edition spoke to the ongoing campaign by the Police Traffic Department to clamp down on illegal tinting of motor vehicles.
In addition, the traffic department is focusing on vehicles that are in breach of the road service licence with respect to paint and lights.
Traffic Chief Hugh Denhert articulated that his department is unearthing cases where minibuses and private cars are using designer two toned (several colours) paintings and graphic vinyl to decorate their vehicles. This he explained, is contrary to clause 14 A of the road service licence which states that “no writing, marking, drawing, painting or other similar depictions shall be placed on a motor vehicle except for those approved by the prescribed authorities.”
This vehicle was impounded for the dark grey carbon fiber vinyl that was applied to the top of the vehicle, among other infringements
According to Denhert, “we are targeting those markings and paintings in addition to those lightings, decorative lights such as neon lights which are being used all around the vehicles.”
According to the Traffic Chief, if persons are desirous of using graphics, graffiti and other decorative “paintings,” permission must first be acquired from the licensing authority (Home Affairs Ministry).
“We find that vehicles have these paste on graphic vinyl that cannot be placed on the vehicle… even if it is approved it has to be painted on because you can’t today have one colour and when you take it off another colour is exposed.” He explained if a vehicle with such vinyl markings is involved in a crime, the fact that these graphics could be removed could hinder police investigations.
If it is a permanent colour and you have the permission to do that then that is acceptable, said Denhert.
The Traffic Chief explained that with respect to vehicular lighting, the law states that one must carry to the front of one’s vehicle two white lights that are visible from a reasonable distance and that the colour of the brake and trafficator lights must be that prescribed by law.
“If you observe some vehicles driving on the road you might see a trafficator blinking but you are seeing a red or green trafficator but the law states that trafficators must be of amber/orange colour and the brake lights must be red.”
He spoke also to the new trend of vehicles using white HID (High Intensity Discharge) front lights as opposed to the original amber coloured ones that come with the vehicle. He said that there is some confusion about this issue since the law says that the two front lights must be white.
Denhert however, made it clear that the HID lights cannot be used because they have a blinding effect and “as long as anything that you use would cause danger and obstruction to another person using the road, you are in breach of the law,” he cautioned.
He explained that the department is “stretched thin”, hence the reason that they have not been able to clamp down on these illegalities, but it will be focusing on those areas now.
Once a vehicle is found to be in breach of the traffic laws, it will be impounded and the identifying deficiencies would be pointed out to the driver who would have to lodge his fitness certificate with the station. The vehicle owner would be allowed to leave with the vehicle, rectify the deficiencies, following which the certificate of fitness will be given.
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