IN SIX six weeks, the Windscreen and Window Tint Regulations 2020 will be enforced by police and officers from the Licensing Office in an attempt to maintain road safety and add another layer in the state's approach to fighting crime.
On July 29, the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Windscreen and Window Tint Regulation initiative was launched at the Ministry of National Security, Temple Court, Port of Spain.
Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, who spoke at the launch, said the legislation was not new but was "put on hold" because of the covid pandemic.
"It really was not a time to enforce some of the measures taken. This law is not new, it was passed since 2018 if I'm not mistaken in the Parliament," Sinanan said, adding that a new method of enforcing the tint regulation eliminates the subjectivity that was involved previously. He said the new method is science-based with the use of tint-measuring devices.
"We felt it was time to use a scientific method...as it gives everyone a fair chance."
Sinanan said this regulation is not about raising revenue or penalising people, but about road safety.
"Though we have seen a spike in road fatalities this year, it is not going to deter us. We are going to continue implementing (regulations) that will improve road safety in Trinidad and Tobago."
Sonia Francis-Yearwood, permanent secretary in the works and transport ministry, said enforcement of the tint regulation is part of the ministry's broader vision to modernise Trinidad and Tobago's vehicular and traffic laws.
"Road accidents though preventable, are a grave public health and developmental concern."
She said the ministry has been proactively implementing initiatives and solutions to promote road safety.
Some of these initiatives include seat belt regulations, mobile phone regulations, child booster seat regulations, introduction of speed technology, introduction of the demerit point system, and reform of the fixed-penalty and traffic ticketing system.
[caption id="attachment_1099237" align="alignnone" width="1024"] From left, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher and Commissioner of Transport Clive Clarke with a tint-measuring device, during the launch of the Windscreen and Window Tint Regulation initiative at the Ministry of National Security in Port of Spain on July 29. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]
"Each of these measures represent a step forward in our mission to create a safer road environment for all users." Francis-Yearwood said the tint regulations will not only be used to tackle road safety, but also national security.
"Heavily-tinted windows have long posed a significant challenge for law enforcement, often being exploited by individuals seeking to engage in criminal activities under the cover of darkness and anonymity.
"By introducing and strictly enforcing these tint regulations, we are not only making our roads safer but also taking a proactive stance against cr
