Attorney General Anil Nandlall has clarified that the Police cannot detain a vehicle over unpaid tickets for traffic offences. Instead, he said the Police should pursue the driver of the vehicle or the owner of the vehicle that committed the traffic offence.
On his weekly “Issues In the News” programme on Tuesday, Mr. Nandlall said the law provides for the person responsible for committing the offence to face the law.
“The issue that has arisen is whether the police can detain the vehicle for an unpaid ticket, the police ought not to detain a vehicle for an unpaid ticket, the police need to go against the driver or the owner, the vehicle has not committed the offence, it is the driver and or owner that must answer for the charge. So, if I am driving a vehicle and that vehicle has tickets, and I am not implicated then the vehicle ought not to be detained,” Nandlall said.
The Attorney General said the e-ticketing system that was introduced has worked well, and as a result of that intervention, persons who commit traffic offences are first notified by text messaging, served by emails and a then a hard copy through the mail and then personally by the police.
He said all those measures were put in place to ensure that persons who break traffic laws are informed of the offence and can take necessary steps including paying outstanding tickets.
“And this regime that I have outlined, and the way that it is being enforced is common across many countries because the electronic ticketing system is not new anymore in most Caribbean territories you have this position obtaining,” Mr. Nandlall said.
The AG also noted that where a ticketable offence is suspected, the Police Force’s responsibility is to issue the ticket, after which the motorist can either accept the offence and pay the fine or challenge the matter in Court.
Mr. Nandlall previously warned Police officers that they have no legal authority to detain motorists, seize vehicles, or withhold personal documents when dealing with traffic offences that fall under the ticketing system.
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