Call to check PMVs

A MAGISTRATE has told road traffic authorities to properly check the condition of vehicles, especially those registered to carry passengers, operating in Lae city.
Magistrate Tera Dawai, of Lae District Court, mentioned this when fining a public motor vehicle (PMV) driver K2,500 in default 12 months in prison for driving while under the influence of alcohol, dangerous driving, driving a vehicle which was not roadworthy and resisting arrest.
Iki Pepson, from Enga, was also guilty of failing to turn on the headlights of his vehicle after 6pm or 7pm as required under road traffic authority rules.
Magistrate Dawai said “most public motor vehicles do not have signal lights, park lights and other navigational lights to operate in the late hours when carry passengers home”.
Pepson was driving a bus with passengers, including his wife and child, between Eriku and the Lae Botanical Garden when he was arrested last Friday.
The court heard that police officers on patrol saw Pepson driving the bus with its lights off.
He was stopped and police inspected the vehicle.
During the inspection, they found that his vehicle had no working lights and that he was drunk.
Pepson also resisted arrest.
His wife, child and other passengers were in the bus.
Magistrate Dawai took into account that he was a first time offender.
Also he had pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.