00:00President of the Trinidad and Tobago Taxi Drivers Network Adrian Acosta says for far too long his association protested against the points system and today the association is pleased to hear that the prime minister has announced the scrapping of the demerit points.
00:15We believe that the only two road traffic or road breaking that the point should be for is the injured driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. All the other points that they were given here for different things, we believe that that is not full at all.
00:45The system which was designed to penalize and potentially disqualify drivers for accumulating too many points for traffic violations had been a source of concern and frustration for many taxi drivers and motorists who relies on their license for their livelihood.
00:59Taking away somebody's license, especially if you are a taxi driver, is putting pressure on that individual and as far as we are concerned it wasn't crime. Because when you take away my license as a taxi driver, you take away my job.
01:13However, President of the Road and Safety NGO Arrival Live, Sharon Inglefield, disagrees and is appealing to Prime Minister Kamala Persad-Bissessa to not scrap the demerit points system, but take into consideration the amount of lives that were partially saved due to the road and safety plans that they were in place because of the points system.
01:32Adding, the points system is not there to punish drivers, but to educate them.
01:36We really do hope that she takes into consideration the data supporting the fact that we need to ensure the drivers who are breaking the law, I call them reckless drivers, who are breaking the law, you know, and who are making poor choices, understand the consequences of their actions, which is lives lost.
02:01She said that the demerit points system is not new, as countries around the world have adopted the system.
02:08So this is a system that has been sanctioned by the World Health Organization, by the United Nations, and by first world countries, who have single figure fatalities per annum, per capita.
02:20So that in Trinidad and Tobago, I think we were, we have 13 fatalities per capita.
02:27And, you know, in those first world countries, they're down to five.
02:32Charlotte Kistel, TV6 News.
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