Tougher penalties for traffic offences in Trinidad
(Trinidad Express) “Lawlessness.”
This is the reason Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar cited as the driving factor behind her Government’s decision to impose significantly tougher penalties for road traffic offences.
On December 25, a legal notice was published announcing increased penalties across a range of offences, including speeding, dangerous driving breaches, documentation violations and other road traffic infractions.
Most of the fines have been doubled and will take effect from January 1, 2026.
Persad-Bissessar, as Opposition Leader, had previously criticised the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration for imposing what she described as hardship on citizens through the demerit points system and high traffic fines.
However, responding to questions from the Sunday Express yesterday, the Prime Minister said her Government removed the demerit system, yet reckless road behaviour continued, causing deaths and endangering lives.
She said people were blatantly breaking the law and pointed out that even with regulations governing fireworks usage, citizens still breached the law over Christmas Day.
She warned that if people refuse to comply, a ban will follow.
“Some people are making a habit of mistaking leniency and kindness as a licence to keep breaking the law. I have seen it over this Christmas where there has been a disregard for the fireworks law. So, the next step will be to ban fireworks outright if citizens cannot adhere to the law.
“Similarly, we removed the traffic demerit points system and some persons took that as a permit to abuse leniency and break the law on the roads,” she said.
The Prime Minister was uncompromising. “So, the fines have been increased to tackle this lawlessness because some people’s lack of respect for the law and sub-par intelligence levels simply can’t accept kindness and mercy, they can only operate lawfully under fear of punishment. That’s how it goes and I take full ownership of the decision.”
She stressed the need for firm law and order, warning that innocent citizens continue to suffer because of reckless individuals.
“If any citizen wants to break the law and drive recklessly and kill themselves on the road, that’s fine by me, the problem is that they usually kill innocent law abiding citizens along with themselves. So short answer is drive within the laws,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also clarified that her earlier criticism of high penalties under the former administration was based on what she said was double punishment—fines plus demerit points.
“I spoke about the fact that you were being doubly punished by having to pay fines and also accumulating demerit points. The demerit points have been removed (except for drunk and reckless driving) and only the fines remain,” she explained.
She accused the Opposition of attempting to manufacture controversy where none exists, saying the solution is simple: obey the law.
“The simple solution is to drive safely and within the legal limits. The only people who will be affected are people who break the law, so if you can’t operate your vehicle within the limits of the law, you will have to pay the fines,” she said.
Issuing one final warning, the Prime Minister stated, “If you don’t want to get hang in the gallows, you don’t commit murder; if you don’t want to be imprisoned for life, you don’t commit rape. So if you don’t want to pay the traffic fines, simply drive within the law.”
