John Culatto
A NEW penalty points system to be made law ‘in weeks to come’ could help reduce traffic accidents and make the road safer for the public, Gibraltar’s transport minister has said.
The publishing of the regulations comes after Commissioner for Police Richard Ullger asked for new ways to fight back against disrespectful drivers in the small British territory.
The new system will be similar to the one used in the UK.
Authorities will be able to give drivers 1 to 10 points for road traffic crimes, depending on how serious the offences are.
If a driver gets more than 12 penalty points in any three year period, they will automatically lose their driving licence for six months.
Anyone who is learning to drive or who has held a full licence for less than two years will only need seven penalty points to get a driving ban.
Penalty points will be valid for three years before they expire.
Minister for Transport Paul Balban said the new measure ‘is designed to encourage careful driving, promote safety and reduce casualties’ on Gibraltar roads.
He quoted figures of a 10% decrease in road collisions and 25% drop in traffic injuries and deaths in places which used the penalty points system.
The point penalties will be a separate punishment to current fines, which rose by double or three times their previous cost in September.
“I am delighted to see the introduction of a Penalty Points system and my delight will be shared by most of Gibraltar’s road users,” Ullger said.
“In the past, we have seen a few drivers go from court appearance to court appearance with only the most serious offences resulting in driving bans.
“I hope this new legislation will act as a major deterrent to those who are frequent offenders.
“Certainly, that has been the case in other jurisdictions,” he added.
Gibraltar has a 50km/h speed limit on its roads, with drivers forced to go at no more than 30km/h on its narrow city centre streets.
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