Paul Lewis, leader of the official opposition, has called for a change to traffic legislation that limits speeds on roads in Montserrat to 20 miles per hour.
His comments come after the Royal Montserrat Police Service on Sunday, 17 March, published a notice warning drivers of penalties if the law is broken.
“No other country or island has one speed limit throughout the entire country, instead, there are different speed limits for different zones,” he told ZJB Radio on 19 March.
Lewis said the enforcement of the law is particularly pertinent as senior police officials from the United Kingdom are currently working with Montserrat police.
“We would have thought they would have been recommending improvements to traffic laws and regulations, and not instead enforcing outdated laws and regulations,” he said.
The police notice stated that it is an offence under the Road Traffic Act to speed, and if found guilty, drivers could receive a fine of $750 or be sent to prison for up to four months.
“Why is the top officials in the Royal Montserrat Police Service wanting to charge citizens $750 or subject them towards facing four months in prison?,” Lewis said.
“Is there some intention to make sure every driver on Montserrat has a police traffic record or even a jail sentence?”
Common sense
The opposition leader said he wants to know whether the sitting government is in support of the announcement.
He called for Premier Joseph E Farrell to put enforcement on hold and immediately start the process to make necessary changes and “let good judgement and common sense prevail”.
“Perhaps 20 miles per hour for school zones and built up areas is a viable solution to consider,” Lewis said.
“But the law and the regulation must be updated to introduce higher and more practical speed limits for the other zones.
“Laws and regulations must be updated within our society as we advance and develop.”
The Road Traffic Act states that the speed limit for motor omnibuses, lorries and tractors on any road “within the speed limit area” is 15mph, and for other motor vehicles it is 20mph.
However, it says that the speed limit in all other areas is 25mph for motor omnibuses and lorries, 20mph for tractors and 40mph for all other vehicles.
