Black Immigrant Daily News

For the first time, driving instructors in Jamaica will have to be certified and their driving schools licensed in order for them to operate on the island.

This is a new activity that will be undertaken by the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) and is contained in the regulations that will govern the new Road Traffic Act.

Transport Minister Audley Shaw outlined the provisions during a debate on the regulations in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

Shaw noted that “All the provisions in this part are new, setting out what is required for permission to be granted to provide such services”.

The regulations state that a register of certified instructors and licensed schools will be kept by the Authority.

Exceptions are made for certain circumstances under which certification is not required. Specifically, the requirement for a driving instructor certificate does not apply to a family member or friend teaching an individual to drive free of charge.

The prerequisites for a person who wishes to be certified as a driving instructor include:

-being at least 24 years-old;

-having not less than two years’ licensed driving experience; and

-successful completion of a driving instructor training programme approved by the Authority.

Other considerations include character references, criminal record check and any other security vetting, and medical fitness.

“The Authority has the discretion to certify an applicant or not, based on the information presented and obtained. In the case of refusal, the Authority should advise the applicant of same in writing with reason and notify the applicant of his right under section 44 of the Act to appeal to the Tribunal”.

The certificate is to be valid for five years, but may be suspended or revoked under certain circumstances.

In respect of the licensing of driving schools, a driving school requires:

-a certified driving instructor as an owner, director, or partner;

-adequately equipped building(s) to be used for classrooms; and

-an instructional programme that meets or exceeds the standards established by the ITA.

Additionally, driving instructors and driving schools are required to operate within the stated guidelines, and to keep records as set out in the regulations.

Other requirements include the maintenance of adequate insurance and the operation of safe vehicles. A certificate of completion is to be issued to students, which, under certain circumstances, may qualify the applicant for exemption from aspects of testing by the ITA.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

News

File photo –

The body of a 52-year-old taxi driver was found one day after his birthday at his Cocorite home early on Thursday morning.

Police said relatives of Barry Brent James tried contacting him several times on Wednesday but were unsuccessful and visited his Pitilal Hill, Water Hole, home at around 6.45 am on Thursday.

The relatives noticed the door was open.

On checking, they saw James’ body with gunshot wounds.

St James police went there with a district medical officer who declared him dead.

Newsday visited the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Thursday and attempted to speak with James’ relatives but they declined.

On Sunday two men Geovani Jones Lashley, 30 and Shemuel Robenson, 21, were also murdered at Pitilal Hill, Cocorite.

Police said they were unclear whether James’ murder was related to that incident.

No motive has been established for the killing.

Homicide Bureau of Investigations Region I police are continuing enquiries.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

– Advertisement –

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government at their recently-concluded summit in Suriname recognised that measures should be put in place to reduce the impact of COVID-19.

The leaders indicated that the measures should consider the incidence of Long COVID, which could significantly increase chronic illness and disability.

They noted that this could further overwhelm the health sector, including its labour force, especially where countries already have a high burden of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

An after-summit communique outlined the position of the CARICOM leaders.

– Advertisement –

According to the communique, they acknowledged that COVID-19 remains a pandemic with a substantial number of cases still being reported across the Region.

The leaders also acknowledged that the impact of COVID-19 has demonstrated that, as countries advance towards recovery and resilience, a whole-of-government and society approach was needed which carefully balanced public health measures and economic recovery programmes.

The communique said the leaders urged the multi-lateral financial institutions to recognise the urgent need for assistance.

They observed that Member States needed to strengthen social safety nets in the context of fiscal space decimated by the support rendered to citizens despite the economic decline caused by the COVID 19 pandemic.

“Heads of Government emphasised that this support was critical as there was genuine suffering and hardship being experienced by a significant number of people in the Region,” the end of conference document stated.

The communique also said the CARICOM leaders lamented the loss of face-to-face schooling time and its impact on the students’ educational performance and all-round development in the Community.

At the same time, Heads of Government emphasised responsible individual behaviours, vaccination, strengthened health systems, and continued and enhanced vigilance were all essential factors for successfully navigating through this current phase of the pandemic.

And they noted that as the health sector moved towards recovery after COVID-19, it was an opportunity to restructure health care services and public health programmes.

The leaders indicated that the health sector restructuring could use the lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic to respond to re-emerging and new diseases which may cause pandemics.

Headline photo: Stock image

– Advertisement –

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Some traffic changes will be in place from tomorrow to allow for the construction of the Modern Port at Rose Place in Kingstown.

Motorists and pedestrians have been advised that the Road which leads from Little Tokyo to Rose Place will be closed.

Speaking at the recent launch of the Project, Minister of Urban Development, Julian Francis highlighted the importance of the Project to the economy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and urged the public their support.

https://www.nbcsvg.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TRAFFIC-CHANGES.mp3

The 250 million US dollar project is being financed by the United Kingdom; the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels, who is representing dancehall mega star, Popcaan, is demanding that the police withdraw a statement claiming that his client was arrested in Barbados for cocaine in 2011 and offer an apology or face a libel suit.

The senior attorney said that the police have until midday Thursday to do so or he would be filing the claim.

Samuels said that the police made a statement about a matter that allegedly happened 11 years ago without giving information on one of the four possible outcomes for someone found to be in possession of cocaine.

“It is a falsehood, and we are going to file a libel claim by midday today. We have done a letter to the JCF, which is to withdraw and apologise by noon, failing which we will file it,” Samuels told Loop News on Thursday.

In further denying the police’s claim, Samuels told Loop News that had Popcaan been arrested for cocaine in Barbados, it would have been widely publicised due to the name value of his client.

Recently, Popcaan’s management questioned whether the State has placed a “Stop Order” on the artiste after he was detained in the United Kingdom, which they say has happened more than once when he entered the country.

Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kamina Johnson Smith said the Government of Jamaica had not requested that Popcaan be detained, “but there are many reasons why a traveller may be detained.

“I have asked the High Commission to enquiry into the matter as early as they are able, so that they may advise,” the Government Minister tweeted on Wednesday morning.

The police, in response, released a statement Wednesday afternoon claiming that they can confirm that Popcaan – whose birth name is Andre Sutherland – was convicted of possession of marijuana in Barbados in 2009 and in 2011 he was arrested for cocaine.

In the meantime, Information Minister Robert Nesta Morgan said that the Prime Minister Andrew Holness has been briefed on the matter involving the artiste.

“He has spoken to the Minister of National Security and the Commissioner of Police to review his situation with a view to help facilitate his ease of travel as an entertainer,” Morgan said in a tweet, also on Wednesday.

NewsAmericasNow.com