Canefield shortcut to $3,000 fine - Offense committed if obstruction caused

Chad Bryan, Gleaner Writer

As early-morning traffic moves along the Mandela Highway, some impatient motorists utilise a tactic to avoid bumper-to-bumper congestion which literally takes them off the road.  They drive through the canefields bordering parts of the roadway.

However, as they emerge from the dirt road to rejoin the vehicles on the highway, satisfied at having got ahead of other motorists, those drivers commit an offence.

Section 51, subsection 1F of the Road Traffic Act states that a vehicle: "Proceeding from a place which is not a road into a road or from a road into a place which is not a road shall not be driven so as to obstruct any traffic on the road."

The infraction can attract a fine of $3,000 and three points on the offender's driver's licence.

An officer at the Ferry Police Station confirmed the distinction between driving through the canefield and causing an obstruction. "There is not an offence if you drive through the canefield," he said. However, he noted that it is very likely the driver will commit an offence as they reenter the traffic flow.

"As long as you are going to emerge yourself or emerge onto a main road, coming from that place, you must cause some obstruction with your vehicle if there is a heavy flow of traffic at a particular time," he said.

He was also quick to point out that cutting across the island dividing the road corridor is also not permitted. "If you even drive from one side of Mandela and cross over the island into the oncoming traffic into the opposite direction, it is an offence," said.

Section 51, subsection 1D of the Road Traffic Act points to this.

CAUSES BACK-UP

The officer has noticed motorists driving through the canefields bordering Mandela Highway not only during peak hour traffic, but also when an accident causes a back-up.

Motorists who breach the law in the process often believe they have not erred.

"They will say they never did anything wrong, but they do not understand that coming out on the road, someone has to let you out. The person has to let you out and will have to brake up on somebody behind them. As a result of this, you will have a domino action. This slows down the traffic and it automatically upsets the whole flow of the traffic," the policeman said.

The issue is further compounded and results in graver possibilities when the cane operation is at the reaping stage.

"If they are doing harvesting, it can cause accidents because the cane carts will be travelling, You have the trucks drawing cane, and those are some 18-wheeler trucks," he said.