| Azaraimy HH |
BOAT trailers in the country must have a licence to operate and strictly adhere to specification guidelines, the Land Transport Department (JPD) announced yesterday.
Drivers of vehicles carrying boat trailers are also required to acquire Class 2B driving licence, and the trailers need to have insurance coverage.
Pengiran Mohd Amirrizal bin Pengiran Haji Mahmud, the Acting Director of Land Transport, said in a in a press conference that there had been reports of near misses and dangerous occurrences on the road involving boat trailers, adding that the new regulations will help enhance road safety and prevent road mishaps.
The regulations will be fully enforced starting January 2, 2018.
The full implementation of the registration and licensing of boat trailers is in accordance with the Road Traffic Act and Regulation, Chapter 68. It is also part of the continuous efforts of the Brunei National Road Safety Council (BNRSC) through the JPD to enhance the level of road safety in the country.
Starting from the date of the announcement (August 28), it is compulsory for all boat trailers to be equipped with instruments specified under the regulation that include mountable brake and back lights (white colour); mountable reverse light (white colour); mountable signal light (amber colour); 50km/hr speed limit plate; mudguard; and side reflector (amber colour).
Starting from August 28 and before January 2, 2018, the process of registration and licensing of all existing boat trailers must be made, including acquiring Class 2B driving licence for drivers of the vehicles that carry the boat trailers.
The application for registration and licensing of boat trailers can be made at the JPD headquarters in Beribi, Gadong or at its branches in Kuala Belait, Tutong and Temburong.
Drivers of existing boat trailers that do not possess the required Class 2B driving licence can submit their application to undergo the driving test at any JPD branch in the country and their cases will be fast tracked.
Under the Road Traffic Act, it is an offence to drive boat trailers without a valid Class 2B driving licence and if found guilty, the penalty is imprisonment of three months and a fine of B$2,000.
Members of the public who wish to operate a new boat trailer must register it with the JPD, take a licence and adhere to the stipulated specifications. They also have to acquire the Class 2B driving licence after undergoing training at a JPD-recognised before the driving test.
Commencing January 2, 2018, all boat trailers must be registered and licensed, and if any boat trailer is found unregistered and unlicensed, its owners will be prosecuted.
The licence fee for boat trailers is B$10 per year.
All boat trailers are also required to have insurance coverage either specific for the trailer or including the vehicle towing the trailer. The roadworthiness inspection of a new boat trailer will be conducted after the trailer’s age reached three years from the registration date, followed by inspections every six months. For existing and used trailers, there will inspection every six months.
Meanwhile, it was also announced that the JPD will announce fresh regulations for other types of trailers such as those carrying animals and food carts in the near future.
According to Pengiran Mohd Amirrizal, currently, there are more than 2,000 registered boats in the country, but there is no available official estimate of the number of trailers.
“Only with proper registration, we will be able to make a realistic count,” he added.
Also present at the press conference yesterday were Haji Mohamad Esa bin Haji Ibrahim, Assistant Director of Land Transport, Ali bin Haji Matusin, Assistant Director of Land Transport and Muhammad Herman bin Abdullah Sebi, Secretary of Brunei National Road Safety Council.
For further information on registration, licensing, specifications, driving schools, and makers and suppliers of boat trailers, the public can visit www.mincom.gov.bn/ltd, or directly contact the JPD at 2451980 extension 510/511/513, or the heads of JPD branches in Tutong, Kuala Belait and Temburong, or meet the Licensing Officer at the Technical Division at the JPD headquarters in Beribi, Gadong.
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