P.M. Kamla Persad-Bissessar Says She Is Prepared To Lower Traffic Fines If Road Deaths, Reckless And Drunk Driving Fall By Mid-2026

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“I indicated to the media today that the ball is in the public’s court. Their behaviour will determine future changes with respect to a ban on fireworks and the revision of fines for traffic offences.” This from Prime Minister the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP, in a post on X this afternoon (Friday 2nd January, 2026).

Her statement comes after increasing public criticism on social media and elsewhere over the doubling of several traffic fines — with some calling it a “revenue generator.”

According to the Prime Minister on X, “I will give the fireworks legislation a couple more months, but if there is no improvement, I will ban it outright. Similarly, with respect to the traffic fines, if by the end of the first half of 2026 there is a decrease in road deaths, reckless driving, and drunk driving offences, I would be willing to reduce traffic fines to lower than they previously were.”

She notes that, “From the reports I have received, compliance with the fireworks law varied considerably across communities. From my own experience over Christmas and New Year’s, I can say definitively that from my home I could hear fireworks being used outside of the permitted hours. There were also many complaints about loud music at night going into the early morning hours, which I also know to be true, as I heard music emanating from North of Philippine almost every night, sometimes up to 3 a.m. There are some people in this country who simply cannot follow the law and have no concern for the inconvenience and harassment they impose on decent, law-abiding citizens.”

Mrs. Persad-Bissessar doubled down on her previous remarks about the country being a lawless dump, saying, “The country will remain a lawless dump unless strong action is taken against these ignorant people who have no regard for their fellow citizens. The issue is not about law enforcement; it is about a lack of civility and respect by some citizens. The Police should not have to be chasing people to charge or arrest them just to get them to comply with minor laws. What example are adults who cannot follow basic rules and laws setting for their children?

She added, “My Government is committed to working with law-abiding citizens to fix this country. The lawless, entitled people simply do not care about who they kill on the roads, who they torment in their homes, or who they bully, abuse, and inconvenience day after day.”

Her statement concluded by saying, “The law did not fail, the Police did not fail, and good law-abiding citizens did not fail — a minority of lawless citizens failed.”

More on this as it becomes available.

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