St Elizabeth police crack down on bike shows to cut crashes there

In a bid to curb motorcycle-related crashes, Superintendent Coleridge Minto, head of the St Elizabeth police, has announced a temporary ban on bike shows in the parish.

This decision comes on the heels of 12 motorcycle fatalities in St Elizabeth so far this year, with hundreds of unlicensed and uninsured motorcycles seized by law enforcers.

"For this (Christmas) period, we are not granting any permit for bike shows, and that decision was the collective decision when I met with my management team and we discussed it," said Minto at Thursday's monthly meeting of the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation.

He highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that "last year, 17 persons died from motorcycle (crashes); this year, 12 died."

The police have also expressed concerns about the reckless behaviour of some motorcyclists there.

"We have seized hundreds of unlicensed motorbikes, uninsured bikes, and scores of these drivers continue to drive without wearing safety helmets; and so, we're not approving any bike shows during this period, and I'm sure you can understand the reason behind that," said Minto.

Meanwhile, he has also welcomed a general move by residents to submit applications for event permits well in advance of the dates of the events.

"I note that the citizens of this parish are, in fact, submitting their applications for their events well in advance, and we do appreciate when the applications come early so that we can do the necessary investigations and make the decisions as appropriate," the parish top cop indicated.