Vehicle tint rules delayed; industry left in limbo

The vehicle tint industry has been left in the dark as the government’s promised regulations on window tinting remain in limbo, leaving business owners frustrated and motorists confused about potential legal consequences.

In December, Attorney General Dale Marshall informed Parliament that motorists would have a three-month grace period to comply with the new regulations after the law comes into force in January 2025.

Marshall had explained that while the legislation to amend the Road Traffic Act and related regulations had been prepared and laid in Parliament, the debate would be deferred to early January.

But up to Friday – the last day of January – debate has still not taken place.

While Attorney General Marshall was unavailable for comment, Chief Licensing Officer Treca McCarthy-Broome informed Barbados TODAY on Friday that the regulations were, in fact, not in effect as yet.

McCarthy-Broome said she was not in a position at the time to say when it would happen.

Some leading tint operators said on Friday that following a meeting last year with government authorities on the measures to crack down on the use of excessive tint on vehicles, they have been hearing conflicting information from various sources as to when the regulations will come into force and the grace period will start.

However, the management of the tint companies explained that no official information or clarity has been coming from the government.

“I had gone to the meeting last year, but I don’t know if it’s fuh real because last month they say it would be last month, now they saying it is this month, now they saying it in March. I don’t know which one it really is,” declared Wade Gaye, owner of Millenium Auto Tint.

When asked if the government had told him March, he replied: “No, that is what I was hearing . . . . When people [customers] came to the shop, they said they heard it was in March . . . a grace period of three months.”

The business owner pointed out that when he went to the meeting, “they were saying it was at the end of the year; and then I watched something on social with the government saying you got a grace period of three months.”

Gaye also expressed concern about why, if the regulations were not yet in effect and there would be a grace period for motorists to comply, some of his customers were being charged for having excessively dark tinted windows.

“So why the police officers charging people and they have to go to court for tint? People come by me and show me summonses to go to court for tint,” he declared.

A management official of Tint Plus also said he was back to square one, not certain as to the official status of the regulations and by extension the start of the grace period.

“These measures will not prohibit the use of tints, but will restrict excessively dark tints that obscure visibility into vehicles,” the attorney general had told the House of Assembly last year.

He said this aligns with global standards aimed at improving public safety.

The AG had also announced that the delay in introducing the regulations ensures that tint meters, which are critical for enforcement, arrive on the island without shipping disruptions during the Christmas season.

“Matters relating to the acquisition of the best available tint meters are well in hand, and these tint meters have been ordered and are en route to Barbados,” Marshall said at the time.

Once enacted, the regulations will take effect immediately, but Marshall reassured motorists that a three-month grace period will allow vehicle owners sufficient time to ensure compliance with the new rules.

The attorney general stressed that the initiative is intended to enhance the effectiveness of The Barbados Police Service as it works to secure a safer Barbados.

“This measure seeks to protect the interests of all Barbadians, and we look forward to the public’s fullest cooperation in the new year,” he said.
The announcement follows public dialogue since the prime minister’s initial revelation of the regulations in September 2024.

The grace period will allow drivers and vehicle owners to make necessary adjustments before enforcement begins.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb