Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Former transport minister William Harrington has called on the new dawn government to seriously consider withdrawing its decision to introduce a new road traffic bill in parliament whose objectives amongst other things, is to drastically increase fines for road traffic offences.
In its 13th cabinet meeting in the year 2022, held on Thursday, 30th June cabinet approved for publication and introduction in parliament during this sitting, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, and 2022.”
The Bill aims to amend the road traffic act, 2002, in order to among others, revise the penalties under the act for driving offences; revise the provisions relating to registration of a motor vehicle and trailer; revise the provisions relating to licensing of motor vehicles and drivers.
Mr. Harrington says whilst the bill to strengthen road traffic laws may be well-intentioned for offences such as drink and driving, causing deaths by careless and dangerous driving, experience has shown that high and punitive road traffic fines for simple contravening of the road traffic act and the highway code are a pure recipe for increased corruption between traffic officers, offender or contravening motorists themselves who would be equally guilty of the crime of corruption.
Mr. Harrington tells QTV news in an interview that the current traffic fines should be maintained or even reduced to corruption-free levels for selected offences because corruption remains rampant even at the current level of road traffic fines.
He believes that the solution to the scourge of traffic offences and resultant fatal road traffic accidents lies in education, regulation and law enforcement as opposed to punitive fines.
Mr. Harrington says punitive fines force motorists who are in a hurry to negotiate their way out of the time-wasting inconvenience of having to go out of his or her way to a police station to pay for a road traffic offence.