Westmoreland police take aim at operators of illegal motorcycles

Western Bureau:

With Westmoreland’s figures for road fatalities still among the highest across the island, the police are giving strong support to the continued enforcement of stipulations of the new Road Traffic Act, especially for illegal motorcycle operators.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gary McKenzie, who heads the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), said the new stipulations for drivers of motorcycles will enable the police to exercise greater authority over how operators use motorcycles.

“More importantly, we (will) take aim at all the motorcyclists that are not properly accounted for in our Tax Administration of Jamaica (TAJ) registry because some of these motorcycles did not come into the island legally and for others, when they are licensed once, there is the tendency not to renew their licence,” said McKenzie.

According to data from the National Road Safety Council, motorcycle crashes is the leading cause of death on Jamaican roads over the years. Some 141 or 29 per cent of the 477 people who died from the 416 crashes last year involved motorcycles.

In 2021 Westmoreland recorded 53 fatal collisions, which resulted in 56 deaths. Some 31 of the crashes included motorcycles. Last year, 50 people died from 42 accidents, 24 of which featured motorcyclists.Despite the stunning crash data, motorcycles remain a popular mode of transportation in Westmoreland.

Under the new Traffic Act, an applicant must do a road test to be granted a provisional driver’s licence to operate a motorcycle. Additionally, the licensee cannot carry a pillion and must have someone with a motorcycle driver’s licence within six metres.

Unlike the purchaser of motorcars, which requires the relevant documents before a seller can release the unit, the customer buying a motorcycle only needs to show proof of age.

According to the regulations, people driving motorcycles with muffler systems exceeding 85 decibels will be fined $10,000.

A motorcyclist will be fined $10,000 for doing a ‘wheelie’ (driving on a single wheel), on the roads, among other popular infractions under the new regulations.

All motorcyclists must wear a protective helmet that provides full coverage for the face and must have an adjustable visor and a hard outer shell.

Additionally, under the Road Traffic Act, 2018, a licenced driver accompanying a learner will be fined $30,000 for having a breath alcohol concentration exceeding 0.02 per cent.

The police are also considering the forfeiture of illegal motorcycles, where, once a driver is placed before the courts and convicted, an application will be made for the Crown to forfeit the vehicle.

But at least one industry stakeholder is urging Government to take an approach that facilitates rather than penalises motorcyclists in becoming better road users.

Westmoreland-based auto dealer, Mario Ennis said, “Establishing laws that are likely to result in an increase in lawlessness is not wise. So they will always be running from the police, and likely end up in a collision and a death.” “I sell bikes, so a dead customer is one less customer for me,” added Ennis.

Ennis, who has been trading motorcycles for more than two decades, believes the one-punch approach will see fewer people licensing their motorcycles.“The intention is right, but it should be done in phases so that you can deal with those who are already operating in the public space illegally,” he said.

“But what you are already seeing is a resistance to the new rules and the continuous ‘cat and mouse game’ between them (motorcyclists) and the police. Not many (motorcyclists) will be able to even get proper licensing so you will find hundreds of illegal operators on our roads endangering lives,” he continued.