PORT of Spain North/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young said drivers were suffering badly under the increased penalties imposed on them, as he pleaded with the government to give them more time to fix defects. He was speaking on the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2026.

Earlier, Transport Minister Eli Zakour piloted the bill, which gives drivers between three days and seven days to fix any of 18 types of defects on their vehicles. Failure to comply will result in an initial written police warning and will be converted into a fixed penalty notice payable by the driver if the allotted time elapses without the problem being fixed.

Young related the plight of a driver he'd just met in his constituency, even as he accused at least one government MP of living in an ivory tower, based on remarks made earlier in the debate.