Minister Jearlean John Urges Drivers To Obey Traffic Laws, Promises Pothole Repairs
Obey the laws, and you have nothing to fear. That’s the advice from Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Jearlean John, as new fines for various traffic offences commence on January 1st.
Minister John focused her attention to road safety and lawlessness, as the country begins to face new traffic penalties from January 1st, 2026.
« I know we people drive dangerously. Not everybody, I want to argue that the majority of the population are very law-abiding citizens and the few that tend to lean towards recklessness, we cannot allow them to spoil the place for everybody else because I think we all will agree that we could do better. And we are better than this. And basically what you need, you need leadership. And you cannot vote for change and expect exchange. »
She also advocated technology-driven enforcement in the future.
« Obey the laws, and then really and truly, I don’t think you have to fear anything. When you drive in London, the speed limit in London is about 10 miles an hour, 10 kilometres an hour. It’s almost, a bicycle is faster than the car. And you know what? Everybody obeying that because together with the speed limit, you also have cameras. So I think we have to have cameras that working. And basically, when you just say that click, they take out your number plate, and they send it to you right away and you get it on your phone. »
The Minister said road infrastructure is a problem the Government will be focused on.
« The roads all over the country are a mess and it didn’t happen on the 28th of April, if I had to go there. Everywhere is a mess. Just pick your mess. So what we are doing right now, if you will look, through our national recruitment drive, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure would have had permission to recruit 1,803 persons. So far we have taken on 1,000. »
Starting mid-January, she said these personnel will fuel a nationwide move to repair thousands of potholes.
« If you pay a little attention you will see that overpass, lovely piece of engineering at Grand Bazaar, that’s been power-washed. We power-washed the whole country to get rid of all the moss and the dirt, the grime, the built-up. All that is part of bringing order. So coming out of that, we are not only going to pick our pothole, we are going into the community and we have the data. So in some communities you have 2,000 potholes. So if you have 2,000 potholes, we come in to patch in 2,000 potholes. »
The Minister also John also criticised T&T’s littering habits: « But the other thing I think the Prime Minister is looking at is the people who litter. We litter as if it’s a disease, right? Somebody might say, but oh gosh, we don’t have dustbin all about. So maybe you have to ease up on fines if that is impending for people who littering. But you have control over your hands. Walk with your garbage. »
