riding motorcycles without helmets, with modified loud exhausts and without license plates on public roads,…
(No. B/201) Mr A. Duval (Fourth Member for Port Louis North & Montagne Longue) asked the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister of Finance, Minister for Rodrigues and Outer Islands whether, in regard to riding motorcycles without helmets, with modified loud exhausts and without license plates on public roads, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain from the Commissioner of Police, information as to whether consideration will be given for regular crackdown exercises to be effected in relation thereto and, if so, give details thereof.
Madam Speaker, I am informed by the Commissioner of Police that crackdown on motorcyclists riding without helmets or motorcycles with modified loud exhausts or without licence plates on public roads, are being conducted regularly. These operations involve the deployment of the Traffic Branch, local Police, Emergency Response Services and the Divisional Support Unit. The teams are reinforced by the Special Mobile Force (SMF) and the Special Support Unit, whenever required. An average of 300 crackdown operations are conducted monthly island-wide against motorcyclists. I am also informed, Madam Speaker, by the Commissioner of Police that a three- pronged strategy comprising Enforcement, Education and Multi-sector partnership has been put in place to address road safety issues. These include – (i) conducting targeted, visible and covert operations at road accidents hot spots; (ii) setting up Road Safety Watch Schemes in collaboration with the local community to identify probable black spots and instances of reckless driving;
38 (iii) conducting crackdown operations with the involvement of various units of the Police Force; (iv) performing snap alcotest and drug test operations, and (v) carrying out sensitisation campaigns on road safety through face-to-face forums, mainstream media, and social media. Madam Speaker, the crackdown operations and the three-pronged strategy deployed by the Police are yielding results. From January 2024 to March 2025, a total of 9,142 crackdown operations were conducted, including 4,218 specifically targeting motorcycles. During these operations, the following contraventions were established – (i) 1,431 for riding without helmets; (ii) 1,541 for riding motorcycles with loud exhausts, and (iii) 4,622 for riding motorcycles without licence plates. The situation is being carefully monitored, and if need be, legislations would be revised to impose higher penalties on offenders.
We have only five minutes left. If you ask one or two questions, nobody else will be able to speak.
Thank you, Madam Speaker. The figures given are concerning – thousands of contraventions. However, the problem persists! Will the hon. Prime Minister consider the use of Safe City cameras to pinpoint the areas where there are recurrences? I can tell the hon. Prime Minister of many areas, close to where I live, where there are recurring…
No! Question! Question! You can do that privately!
…where motorcyclists are using their motorcycles without helmet, without number plates, with loud exhausts, and the Police are not effectively tracking down on that.
So, your question is?
The question is whether he will use the Safe City cameras to ensure that the Police are, in fact, being efficient, and not just rely on what the local Stations are saying.
That is enough! That is enough! Safe City cameras!
39
Bizin fer enn alcool test!
In fact, Madam Speaker, the Safe City cameras are now not being used to spy on people…
Voilà !
…but, in fact, to see things like these. And they are being used for that!
Okay! Next question!
Li pe rod filme son li!
Hon. First Member for La Caverne and Phoenix! MAURITIUS’ PORT – IDLE VESSELS – COST IMPLICATIONS