Photo: Adele Catzim-Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Transport
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Oct. 26, 2023
The Ministry of Transport will soon be instituting several new Statutory Instruments that will update the current traffic laws in the country.
Concerning seatbelt use, the current legislation only requires that seatbelts be used by the driver of a vehicle and any front-seat passengers.
Adele Catzim-Sanchez, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Transport, who spoke with the media on Tuesday, October 24, indicated, however, that “The new Statutory Instruments will require seat belts used for all persons in the vehicle..”
She went on to state that the Transport Ministry will also be amending legislation to allow them “to use speed measuring devices to enforce the speed limits across the country.”
“… We are using speed measuring devices, but what we are doing is strengthening the legislation to allow us to use all types of speed measuring devices, not limit us to just using one brand; and that has been the issue with previous Statutory Instruments. We were limited to using one brand; and now, we are opening it up to allow us to use whatever speed-measuring devices that we need to do to enforce the law,” she said.
CEO Catzim-Sanchez further noted that awareness campaigns will be conducted in an attempt to reduce cell phone use while driving.
“The first step is putting in place the requirements by law, and then we will have to do the public awareness so that drivers and passengers will know what is required in legislation. For this, we will need a combined effort from those who drive, those who are the passengers in those vehicles, as well as people to report others who are not abiding by the law. Of course, putting up cameras, and some of those things are being discussed. That is something we will do as we move forward,” she said.
CEO Catzim-Sanchez noted that the proposed SI’s are at the Attorney General’s office and it is expected that they will be returned within the next month or six weeks to the Ministry for them to be signed off.
Notably, the introduction of the three new Statutory Instruments (SI) is being done as part of the Road Safety Project that is being implemented by the Ministry of Transport.