St. Kitts – Nevis Considers New Road Safety Laws
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
November 18, 2008 (CUOPM)
Amendments to the Vehicles and Road Traffic Act will make it mandatory for wearing seats belts and a three year jail term on conviction for causing death by dangerous driving.
The Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) (Bill) 2008, which was introduced and given its first reading in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly on November 11th proposes several miscellaneous amendments including identifying the institution for registering taxis, tour buses and motor omnibus.
Clause 4 makes provision for persons who seek to register a public service vehicle other than a self”“ drive vehicle to apply in writing to the Tourism Authority in the case of a taxi or tour bus and to the Traffic Safety and Public Service Drivers Board in the case of a motor omnibus.
Clause 5 of the Bill increases the penalty for driving without a licence to a maximum of two thousand dollars. Additionally provision is made in that clause limiting the kinds of vehicles that may be driven by a learner driver for the purposes of obtaining driving instruction.
Clause 6 of the Bill provides among other things, that the qualification of a driving instructor must include the possession of a valid Class I driver’s licence. This Clause also goes into the prerequisites for obtaining such a licence.