Government

BLA Outlines Process For Inspection & Registration Of Vehicles 10 Years Or Older

The Barbados Licensing Authority (BLA) is seeking to clarify some misinformation being circulated on social media regarding the inspection and registration requirement for private vehicles that are 10 years or older.

The Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulation, 2017, Section 14A (1) states:

“Upon payment of the prescribed fee, the Licensing Authority shall conduct an annual inspection of any motor vehicle that is 10 years or older and licensed as a private vehicle. If the vehicle is found to be unfit for transporting persons, the owner will be notified in writing and given 14 days to correct the defects.”

Acting Chief Licensing Officer (CLO), Treca McCarthy-Broomes, stated that all vehicles – private, commercial, and public service vehicles – must be registered with the BLA and insured. However, the annual inspection requirement under Section 14A(1) is currently not being enforced for private vehicles that are 10 years or older, and the Authority is seeking to amend that section.

Mrs. McCarthy-Broomes explained that an inspection is required when a private vehicle that is 10 years or older is being sold or transferred to a new owner. In that case, the new owner must present:

A roadworthy certificate
A weight certificate
A letter of sale
Valid Insurance
A valid picture ID
A completed application form
A payment of $400 to the Barbados Revenue Authority

She explained that a roadworthy certificate or an investigation is also required in certain situations, such as if a vehicle has been off the road due to an accident or major mechanical failure. Additionally, insurance companies may require a roadworthy certificate once a vehicle reaches 10 years of age.

The acting CLO stated that, by the end of May or early June 2025, the BLA will be releasing a list of approved garages that will be able to issue Roadworthy Certificates for compliance, safety, and insurance purposes.

Mrs. McCarthy-Broomes said: “Barbadians will soon be able to visit approved garages to confirm that their vehicles are roadworthy and fit to drive on our roads. Persons may also use these approved garages to assess the roadworthiness of a vehicle before making a purchase from a private seller.

“We cannot stress safety enough. Vehicle owners must take every measure to ensure the safety of themselves, their loved ones, and other road users.” (PR/GIS)

Government

Attorney-At-Law Sandra Rawlins Is New Public Counsel

Attorney-at-law Sandra Rawlins is the new Public Counsel in the Office of Public Counsel, Ministry of Energy and Business.

Ms. Rawlins was appointed on promotion to the position with effect from April 15, 2025.

The new Public Counsel said she was grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Barbados and promised to do her best along with her staff, to protect consumers’ rights and advocate for them in accordance with the law.

“My immediate plans for the organisation are to handle consumer complaints expeditiously; to have a website set up before the end of this financial year; and to continue our programme of education to consumers and suppliers,” she shared.

Prior to this appointment, she acted as Deputy Solicitor General with responsibility for Contracts and International Law, in the Solicitor General’s Chambers for about two and a half years.

Ms. Rawlins was called to the Bar in Barbados in 2006, after successfully completing the Legal Education Certificate at the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago. She has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, and a Master of Laws from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, in Corporate and Commercial Law.

Since 2007, she stated, she “has gained valuable legal experience, including litigation”, while working in the Solicitor General’s Chambers. In 2017 and 2018, Ms. Rawlins briefly served as an acting Magistrate in the District A (Criminal Court) and District C Magistrate’s Court.

Before entering the legal profession, Ms. Rawlins was a graduate teacher at two secondary schools, having joined the Barbados Public Service in September 1984. (PR/GIS)

Government

Chad Blackman Sworn In At State House

Minister of Educational Transformation, Chad Blackman, was today sworn in as a Member of the Cabinet and Member of Parliament by The President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, at State House.

After the brief swearing-in ceremony, Dame Sandra congratulated Mr. Blackman, who is the new Member of Parliament for St. James North.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley; Deputy Prime Minister, Santia Bradshaw; Attorney General Dale Marshall; Senior Ministers Kerrie Symmonds and Dr. William Duguid; other ministers; and Mr. Blackman’s parents Delvin and Jacqueline Blackman, among others.

Ms. Mottley congratulated the new Minister and lauded some of his attributes. She thanked Mr. Blackman “for his extraordinary humility, commitment to people, discipline and willingness to engage persons at all levels….

“I ask only that you remain humble, … [and] committed to serving the people of Barbados”, she urged.

Additionally, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the Minister’s parents, saying that over the years, he had set a fine example in being committed to serving at all levels.

Ms. Mottley said a vacancy now existed in the Senate Chambers and a new Senator would be announced shortly.

Meanwhile, Mr. Blackman thanked the Prime Minister for again reposing confidence in him and allowing him to serve in the Cabinet.

He continued: “I commit to working to ensure that the country’s educational transformational journey is one that, of course, is exciting, but equally rooted in understanding where we have to go, bearing in mind the nuances that we have as a country to take into consideration, as the global community that we operate under constantly changes.

“And, therefore, we have to change and adapt to it, equally putting Bajan values and ideas to the fore because the world must benefit from the intellectual capacity that we have in Barbados.”

Mr. Blackman said he was again looking forward to serving at the ministerial level and promised to continue working on behalf of the people of Barbados. (PR/GIS)

CAPTION: Minister of Educational Transformation, Chad Blackman, is congratulated by parents Delvin and Jacqueline Blackman, at State House

Government

CHAD BLACKMAN TO BE SWORN IN TODAY

Chad Blackman is set to be sworn in on Thursday as the new Member of Parliament for St James North, following a resounding win in Wednesday’s by-election. Representing the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Blackman captured 84 per cent of the vote.

He secured 2,723 of the 3,231 ballots cast, leaving his nearest challenger, Felicia Dujon of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), far behind with 468 votes. Steffanie Williams of the Community Empowerment Party received 21 votes, while Alex Mitchell of the Bajan Free Party garnered seven. A total of 12 ballots were rejected.

With just over 8,500 registered voters in the constituency, the turnout stood at approximately 38 per cent.

When asked about how he felt after securing victory, Blackman said he was humbled, adding, “I see this, yes, as a victory, but now the real hard work begins. I made a lot of commitments to the people of St James North and, of course, the people of Barbados, and it’s really now to get on to the business of work.”