Traffic law expected to be enforced next week
(CNS): Although there has been no confirmation from government officials in the ministry regarding the date when the traffic law, which was passed last November, will come into force, Mike Adam made an announcement last week that Cabinet had approved the regulations. Speaking at the opening night of Cayman’s first electric car show on Thursday, the community affairs minister, who was standing in for the premier, said that the law would come into effect in two weeks. Although this is good news for local business man John Felder, its spells bad news for clamping firms and a warning for drivers who have not yet purchased a hands free mobile phone kit.
Despite the revelations by the minister, the regulations have not yet been made public and, among many other key issues, the level of fines for people using their phones while driving have not been revealed. If the minister is correct that the law will come into force around the 10 September, this does mean that before the month is out electric cars will finally be allowed on Cayman’s roads.
Local businessman John Felder, the man who has been relentless in his goal to populate Cayman’s roads with green vehicles, told CNS on Monday that he was delighted With many false alarms over the years, Felder has been waiting a long time for this day.
“Now for the first time, Caymanians will be able to have the option to drive an eco-friendly vehicle that will not pollute the environment,” he said. “Petroleum is a limited resource, a vexing source of price spikes, geopolitical instability, and environmental disasters of epic proportions.”
Felder, who owns Cayman Automotive, the only current supplier of electric vehicles in Cayman, said that these eco-cars would be essential to the development of a cleaner, more independent transportation system in Cayman. Felder had taken a significant business risk as he began the process of importing electric vehicles into Cayman several years ago, even though they could not be driven on local roads, in anticipation of a long promised government commitment to changing the law. He also began the process of introducing solar panelled charging stations, which he hopes to roll out across Grand Cayman in the coming months so that electric car drivers can also make the use of truly green energy.
The new traffic law was passed with cross party support in the Legislative Assembly last November. However, despite the excitement this week that Felder’s dream would be a reality, the regulations have not yet been published and no official date has been set. CNS has contacted the ministry to confirm the start date for the law and details of the regulations and is awaiting a response.
See 2011 Traffic Law here.
Category: Local News
Police officers need to learn the law and stop telling people studidness when they pull them over. They told a motorist that the car could be seized because he did not have the certificate of registration in the car! A load of bull.
Judging by what i see on a daily basis the police force themselves will have to spend a ton a money on hands free phone sets before they can go busting anybody else.
How are they going to pass the regualtions if Mac has shut down the LA to go travelling?
Cayman is just turning into a big crap hole. Police and Governement aren't doing anything better for this island. Only adding in more rules which are going to be broken mainly by the police and government themselves…which are in turn going to get let off easy anyway. This place use to be such a nice peaceful island…and it's not even the crime now…its the government and police that are corrupting this place…not for the better but for the worst. Coming from a true caymanian, really thinking about moving somewhere else.
Hopefully they are going to change the speed limit on North Sound Rd!! The cop on the motorcycle is making a good name for himself standing behind the building with a radar gun!
Are any of the new traffic regulations going to apply to the private bus drivers and the truck drivers delivering gravel for the new road. These guys seem to be a law unto themselves, the West Bay Road / Seven Mile Beach now resemble a scene from a 'Mad Max' film – it is only a matter of time before some innocent person is killed by these selfish idiots.
I do not understand why these large turcks are not using the bypass.
They are using both, and using both badly. And has anyone checked those trucks mechanical safety? They sound like tanks going into battle, which is effecitvely what they are doing, however us, the general public does not want to fight their war! Or even be near the battlefield.
The one thing that I am glad of is that the clamping is not in force, and do ya all see any worst parking because of it? That was just a business and jobs for mostly work permit holders. These guys had no common sense doing their jobs. I was very worried that something serious was going to happen because of these people harrassing the poor working people in a hurry picking up breakfasts and lunches. I even saw a guy once who, pulled a knife from his socks in defence of his friend who parked in front of the Tower building after 5 in the afternoon to collect fish. At that time the building was not even in use either. Please dont legalize this again.
Yes actually, do ever go into Hurley's between 5:30pm and 6:30pm and see all the cars parked on a double yellow line right outside the liquor store because the parking spaces are another whole 10 feet away… some even park on the corner there and considering the lanes aren't the widest it is somewhat dangerous. Next good example is outside of Butterfield Bank in town where cars constantly stop and park in the middle of the lanes to drop of staff members. While I believe Butterfield has bad planning on their side for not including a drop zone and for not telling their staff to do it, it should also be being enforced by someone.
“Now for the first time, Caymanians will be able to have the option to drive an eco-friendly vehicle that will not pollute the environment,” Isn't all electricity on island produced by burning fossil fuels? You can drive an electric car on island and have the elusion of being eco friendly. Until we harvest electricity through wind and water or build a nuclear reactor, driving electric cars doesnt have anything to do with eco friendliness.
Good idea! Let's put a nuclear reactor in West Bay!
Thought those guys down there already had one….the premier!
The Cabinet has recently approved Net Metering, and has, from two years ago allowed the Duty Free import of alternative energy equipment for indivuals.
Therefore, it is entirely feasible to install wind turbines and or solar panels at home to generate your own free electricity. Furthermore, Caribbean Utilities has a Feed-in-Tarrif CORE program which credits homeowners for the electricity they produce, which may be surplus to their requirements.
Solar panels and wind turbines are only "free" to those on the special croanies list in West Bay. Anyone that doesn't carefully consider the LCOE (levelized cost of energy) is concerned less about paying their monthly CUC than appearing to be the first greentech noble on the block. There are no greentech credits or reimbursements like in NA, and Europe. Have you researched the current up front cost to generate 1kwh (before installation and maint)? Most houses with kitchens and modern SEER a/c units will need close to 1000 kwh/month. There is a new generation of Solar PV panels on the way that will hopefully cut the cost in half by 2014-5. It's coming, but it's not yet competitive with the diesel generation. It would be a shame to make a major investment in today's PV tech, when it may become obsolete a year or two from now.
How is it possible to enforce regulations that have not been made public?
Another law that will be passed but not enforced, let me name a few:
Tint on windows (please, there are so many vehicles still in Cayman with tint that you cannot see in)
Loud music playing in cars – OMG you can actually feel the vibration in your windows when they drive by
Banned breeds – we don't even have to go there
Docking and cropping of dogs – someone is doing it and it isn't only an indiviudal who isn't a vet
Breeding of banned breed
Anyone has any other laws passed but not enforced??????? I am sure there are ALOT more!!!!
On a side topic banned breeds should never have been implemented, a law that puts responsibility on owners to properly care for their pets no matter the breed should have been put in. No breed is any worse another, just bad ownsers.
Does this mean people will have to start indicating?
I would hope so, its discusting to see so many vehicles not indicating.
If you can't even spell disgusting…..I can only imagine your poor driving skills!
No, the police are going to enforce just as they do the current traffic laws so don't worry you can continue breaking them
I have been pulled over by a certain member of the RCIPS aka "Super Cop" who claimed thatmuch of this was already in effect while he wrote me a ticket.
I will just print this out and hand it in as my defence next week in court.
Laws on give way signs, stop signs, red lights, indicators, lane use, roundabouts, drink driving and licensing are not enforced anywhere in the country at any time, so who is gonna worry about a hands free phone system?
Every day I see people go through red lights at the intersection of Shedden Road and North Sound Road. Not orange lights either, they've been red for 3 or 4 seconds and traffic is starting to move when these idiots go through the red at 30 or 40mph. Just now I saw exactly that nearly cause a big smash.
So how about enforcing some existing laws? Write some tickets. If everyone breaking the road rules got a ticket but the country's budget problems would be solved in a month.
And we could maybe have a few more people employed who just patrol town on bicycles giving out these type of tickets….win win win
Couple of thoughts here folks first re the electric cars and second re the new traffic laws:
Re the electric cars a) who wants to drive one it will be like driving a motorised lawn mower; b) how much do they cost c) are they really much cheaper to run than gas cars given CUC's charges and d) do CUC have the generator capacity to even allow folk to charge the vehicles or will it lead to mass power outages on Island?
Re the traffic law a) I assume the government know what the mobile phone fines will be as they have just completed a budget which should have taken into account a provision for potential revenue from this source b) are we banning people from smoking behind the wheel as well, those characters that do that are a equal hazard to the road!
Answers on a postcard!!
Electric cars are fine BUT we can't even get non-electric cars fixed properly here in Cayman or if we do the cost of fixing them is so high you may as well take out a second mortgage….check to see how much it is to repair an electric car…don't jump for joy yet!!!
Responses to quiries about electric cars:
1) The price of electric cars will begin at 21,500 which is very competitive in this local market.
2) The average cost to drive 100 miles is less than C.I.$3.00 based on current CUC rates.
3) Test drive the vehicle first before offering how they drive.
4) CUC will be addressing the need for addtional capacity in the next few years as the popularity of electric vehicles will surely soar in the Cayman Islands.
On the electric cars I think the idea is to create recharge stations that are not powered by CUC by using solar energy or similar. The initial cost for these stations will probably be higher but in the long run you have free gas. Plus, considering that the point of electric cars is to be environment friendly it would be pointless to use CUC power which is being generated by coal.
No coal is used in the Cayman Islands.
about your comments on the performance and power requirements of the cars, you should have gone to the showing at the car museum over the weekend, or better yet, just give Mr. Felder a call before you talk about things that you seem to not know about and influencing people negatively
That's great that it will be illegal now to talk on your phone whilst driving. I hope it applies to police officers as well that I see cruising around in patrol cars talking on their cell phones while driving. No sense in put through an enforcement and the persons who are being placed in this responsibility to enforce a law are doing it themselves.
This pathetic point comes up far too often. Keep your own side of the street clean. End of story.
The law specifically excluded police from this rule, makes no sense but true…
Well you have made the very same mistake in Cayman that we made here in the UK. Now every Tom, Dick and Mary has a mobile phone, and in Cayman it seems people go out for a drive specifically to make their phone calls, you have decided to make it illegal!!. Why oh why did it take so long for the so-called "clever people" to realise that if you are texting or dialling on a hand held device you are NOT concentrating on the road. We have had many people killed on the roads in the UK and I know in the States as well by these stupid, inconsiderate drivers. Sadly Government has a lot to answer for, this should have been made illegal from the time mobile phones were first introduced. We keep increasing the penalties over here but everyday countless drivers can be seen on the phone. Now the ONLY way to stop it is to make an example of anyone caught doing it, and to use unmarked Police vehicles to catch them. Fines don't work, an automatic driving ban would be a good deterrent. All mobile operators have an ansaphone facility so there is NO excuse. Phew got that off my chest!!.