Independent Senator Andrew Mallalieu is calling for some regulations within the Road Traffic Act which he believes do not spur economic growth to be scrapped.
The businessman made the call in the Upper House yesterday as senators debated the first reading of the Road Traffic Amendment Bill 2022.
Mallalieu bemoaned the fact that in making the current amendments, opportunities were missed to alter other areas which are “archaic and only serve to hinder business development”.
He cited the continued use of trade plates, which he said serve no purpose in the current business environment.
“What purpose do they serve?” he asked. “I’ve asked operators in Barbados that question and no one can tell me. They are a waste of time and resources.”
Mallalieu then questioned the continued process of weight certificates having to be received from the Barbados Licensing Authority, when all vehicles imported into Barbados had to show their weight on paperwork at their origin, and such information was also readily available via the Customs and Excise department, using the ASYCUDO system.
“What is the use of this? We no longer charge a fee based on the weight of vehicles. The certificate is completely useless,” he asserted.
Mallalieu said that was a clear instance of human resources being wasted.
He then went on to the issue of visitor permits, which are required for tourists to drive on the country’s roads when they vacation here.
“That is still archaic,” he said, while noting that Barbadians travel to jurisdictions such as Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom where they are eligible to rent hired vehicles based on the production of their Barbados driver’s licence.
“We need to remove these impediments,” he said about the system which still requires rental car companies to fill out certain books before they can rent vehicles to visitors. (BA)