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Spot fines for minor offences raised to R1000   |03 September 2021

The cabinet of ministers has approved for increasing the Minor Offence (fix penalties) spot fines from R100 to R1000 for offences committed at the Seychelles airport and from R200 to R1000 for offences committed in other places.

Among the new offences, children below the age of ten years old will not be allowed to ride as a passenger on motor bikes and on other similar modes of transport while they will also not be allowed to sit in the passenger seat of vehicles. The spot fine will be R1000 if the regulation is breached.

The announcement was made by Kenny Elizabeth, the department of Transport’s legal advisor, in a press briefing on amendments related to the Minor Offence (fixed penalties) regulations and the Minor Offenses (fixed penalties) Decree.

The briefing was held at Botanical House, Mont Fleuri, yesterday morning in the presence of the Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques; the principal secretary for Transport, Patrick Andre and the chief executive of the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation (SPTC) Patrick Vel.

The amendment was approved along with a number of legal and policy memoranda that were considered by cabinet on Wednesday September 1, 2021, chaired by President Wavel Ramkalawan.

With regard to the Minor Offenses (fixed penalties) Decree, Mr Elizabeth explained that compared to the three days notice to pay spot fines, offenders will now have fourteen days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) to pay the fines. He added that the Attorney General will have six months to compile a case before the court compared to three months.

He further added that the decree will come into force upon accession by the National Assembly while the Minor Offence (fixed penalties) regulations will come into force following accession by the minister.

PS Andre said that the decision to increase the spot fines for minor offences is in regard to safety of persons in the vehicles or on motor bikes and as a deterrent. He further said while some parents carry infants in the front seat, the car seat should be turned against the dash board, instead of facing it, to protect the infant from being entangled by the seat belt or its face from being smashed into the windshield in the event of an accident.

He stated that big pick-up trucks are licensed for other functions and not to carry passengers in the front seat, especially children.

He added that the police will be on the lookout on drivers who carry children in the front seat, with children on their laps, on the phone or driving with pets in the front seat, which are all signs of distractions that can cause accidents.

He said that work is ongoing to establish a regulation regarding the amount of decibel for playing music in vehicles which is also considered as a distraction that can cause accidents.  

Minister Derjacques said that money raised from spot fines will be used to improve the road conditions including the construction of a parking building in Victoria in partnership with the private sector.

He stated that government is planning to bring technology in the public transport system, whereby for example, people will only have to scan their phones to access entry on the buses, among others.

He added that the government is working on a new modern transport policy for the country.

 

Patrick Joubert

 

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