Gendarmes and Territorial Police conducted controls on buses and taxis on Friday.
MARIGOT--The motorcycle brigade of the Gendarmerie held coordinated traffic controls in Marigot on Friday in cooperation with the Territorial Police. The controls were conducted between 6:00am and 8:00am.
The Gendarmerie stated the aim of the operation was to control buses and clandestine taxis in addition to checking for violations of the Highway Code such as not wearing seat belts, talking on cell phones or not wearing a crash helmet.
The controls focused on whether bus operators had legitimate licenses and authorization to carry passengers. Failure to obtain a bus driving licence (buses which do not have the approval of the local authority incur a fine of 135 euros). Authorisation is also needed to work as a bus driver.
The Gendarmerie indicated that illegal practices generate unfair competition against regular legal bus and taxi drivers. The public use these vehicles at their own risk. There is no guarantee that the vehicle is in good condition, that the driver actually has a valid driving licence and is insured for passenger transport. In the event of an accident, users may find the vehicle has no insurance.
During the controls there were three instances of operating without a driving licence, one seat belt violation and a crash helmet violation. The controls will be repeated regularly.
