FORMER MINISTER of Transport and Works, John Boyce, is all for breathalyser legislation finally being introduced in Barbados in an attempt to reduce instances of drunk driving.
He said that just because Barbados is a rum-consuming society, it is not an excuse for people to drink irresponsibly and get behind the wheel.
“Why should we continue to give the impression that if you can consume heavy amounts of alcohol, you can always let your vehicle drive you home?” the minister asked. “If you are over the limit, then you should not be driving. We are about creating a safe environment for our children and grandchildren to grow up in.”
The Christ Church South MP also said he was in full support of any legalisation that better protected the differently able.
Boyce, now the Minister of Health, made the comments in the House of Assembly yesterday during the debate on the first reading of the 2017 Road Traffic Amendment Bill.
“We are not here doing this to score political points,” he stressed during his 20-minute contribution. “Talk about this legislation was around from before 2006. How much longer could we have waited?
“The topics we discussed today are the same ones we discussed back then. They are the same ones that went before select committees,” he noted, before producing a document which cited a number of select committee meetings and the MPs and technocrats who would have attended.
“The consultation on these issues started from way back, and they continue today,” he added.
Regarding the proposed registration of licence plates manufacturers as part of the bill, Boyce said he particularly liked that move, since the criminal element in Barbados had stepped up their capabilities. “The high-tech crime that is part of society has to be fought at this level. We have to use the tools available to continue that fight.”
He criticised Opposition Leader Mia Mottley’s earlier call for the legislation to go before a select committee, saying it was her attempt to score political points for the Barbados Labour Party. (BA)
