The Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) (Amendment) Bill, No. 11 of 2008 was approved in the National Assembly on July 31 this year, but has not yet been created an act. According to the explanatory memorandum the bill seeks to amend the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act Cap 8:02.
It inserts a new section to prohibit motor buses and hire cars from using any electronic equipment which is so loud and continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to an occupant of the motor bus or hire car or any other person, or impair the driver’s ability to use the road cautiously.
The bill states:
“Enacted by the Parliament” of Guyana:-
“1. This Act, which amends the summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act. May be cited as the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) (Amendment) Act 2008.
2. The Principal Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 174 A, the following section as section 174 B-
“174 B. (1) No driver of a motor bus or hire car shall use or allow anyone to use a television, video, radio, tape-deck, compact disc player, amplifier, equalizer, speaker or other electrical or electronic equipment for the purpose of playing music or other electrically or electronically transmitted sound which is so loud and continuous or repetitive as to cause a nuisance to an occupant of the motor bus or hire car or any other person while it is plying its route transporting a passenger or parked in a public place.
“(2) Any driver of a motor bus or hire car who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of no less than seven thousand five hundred dollars nor more than fifteen thousand dollars and to imprisonment for six months and on a second or any subsequent conviction to a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars nor more than twenty thousand dollars and to imprisonment for twelve months.
“(3) In this section-
(a) “Hire-car” means a motor car used or intended to be used for carrying not more than seven passengers for hire or reward.
(i) under a contract express or implied for the use of the vehicle as a whole; or
(ii) at separate fares stage by stage or stopping to pick up or set down passengers along the line of route;
(b) “motor bus” means a motor vehicle constructed and used for carrying not less than eight passengers for hire or reward at separate fares stage by stage or stopping to pick up or set down passengers along the line or route.”
