Linite Militan was at a press conference on Saturday morning in Port-Louis. During his speech, the Minister of Transport and Light Rail returned to the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, passed in Parliament on Tuesday June 25.
“There is no ulterior motive behind the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill. The law has been revisited many times, including in 2023 and 2020, because road safety affects the entire population,” says Alan Ganoo. He was speaking on Saturday, June 29, at the Linite Militan press conference in Port-Louis.
This bill, he said, aims to protect pedestrians and other road users. The amendments to the existing law also aimed to “plug” the “loop hole”, not only regarding the size of the kanwars (Editor's note: during the pilgrimage to the sacred lake of Grand-Bassin), but also regarding the sale of cars through the “white paper” system. “When a fatality happens, it happens a lot,” emphasizes Alan Ganoo.
Another point raised to justify the amendments to the law: the update of the situation within the National Land Transport Authority (NLTA). “This is not the first time that a minister has made proposals on road safety and faced a public outcry. In 2014, the government of the day had introduced the compulsory wearing of fluorescent vests. This measure had caused a stir across the country,” recalls Alan Ganoo.
Road traffic, continues the Minister of Transport and Light Rail, concerns the entire population. “A measure announced by the government can be subject to a thousand different opinions. That is why the government must adjust and amend before formulating its proposal. In the past, whether it is Minister Anil Bachoo or other Transport Ministers, they have had to revise their copy after announcing measures,” he maintains.
Thus, continues Alan Ganoo, the government has taken into account certain representations of the population following the announcements concerning the increase in fines. “We have revised the fines downwards. Currently, the majority of these fines (37 out of 204) have gone from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 and from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, except for a few specific offences such as non-compliant registration plates.”
And the minister pointed out: “license plates are linked to many offenses such as drug trafficking or hit and runs. It was necessary to intervene. This is why the amount of the fine for non-compliant license plates is Rs 5,000, except in the case of a defective bulb while driving.”
During his speech, Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister, returned to the Constitution Amendment Bill and the Political Financing Amendment Bill, two bills that will be debated in the National Assembly this Tuesday. For him, “it is a test of the opposition's sense of responsibility. What will it do?”
