Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said a new U-Turn system will be introduced in early January to help curb lawlessness on the nation’s roads.
Sinanan, who was speaking at Arrive Alive’s Solidarity Walk and Ride in commemoration of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims yesterday, said the system will “revolutionise the way we deal with the road violations in Trinidad and Tobago.”
He explained: “It’s a major breakthrough. It’s not just about taking away people’s driving permits, it’s about rehabilitating them. It’s about teaching them. If you lose your driver’s permit, based on the number of points, you need to go into some sort of rehabilitation and only when we’re satisfied that you understand the importance of earning and having a driver’s permit, only then you would be able to get it back.”
Arrive Alive president Sharon Inglefield said with lives at stake the organisation will not compromise or accept mediocrity. She said 105 lives were lost in road traffic accidents this year and there were countless injuries which can’t be tracked.
Inglefield said it was obvious and imperative that citizens collectively worked harder to avoid the serious collisions that take the lives of so many suddenly and violently . The only acceptable figure for road fatalities is zero, she said.
She added that road networks and furniture must be designed, constructed and maintained to far better standards. She also called for the importation of safer and cleaner vehicles.
Yesterday’s event was attended by Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith, former national cyclist Michael Phillips and BHP Billiton TT president Vincent Pereira.