Pressure from certain conglomerates who import new cars is said to be forcing the government to stop the market from being flooded with foreign-used cars.

For years now, new car dealers have been campaigning for the government to reduce the amount of roll-on, roll-off vehicles that are being imported because there has been a drastic drop in sales of their cars.

Some new car dealers were forced to use their new cars, which remained on their hands, in their rental business and afterwards sell them at comparable prices as foreign-used vehicles.

Roll-on, roll-off vehicles, between three and five years old, cost just about half the price of a new car.

COLM IMBERT

This had resulted in a mad rush for foreign-used vehicles for many years now.

On Wednesday, Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert said the government is moving to reduce the age limit of imported foreign-used cars to be between two and three years and for the establishment of a compulsory car-pooling system to reduce traffic jams.

Speaking to reporters following the opening of the Diego Martin Highway Extension, Imbert said he “was seriously considering a recommendation to reduce the age limit (of foreign-used cars) to three years or less”.

The minister said there are too many foreign-used cars in the country.

In explaining the reason for this move, the Works Minister said it will make the vehicles less attractive for buyers, who should instead seek to purchase new or used local vehicles.

If this plan is approved it would mean that the cost of a roll-on, roll off vehicle would reach near the price of a new car or a local used vehicle, which could force buyers to buy a new car instead.

The former United National Congress (UNC) Administration had removed the restriction for the importation of foreign-used vehicles, which resulted in the market being flooded with cars.

The traffic nightmare being experienced by motorists, especially during the peak hours, is being blamed on the increasing number of cars on the road.

Since the People’s National Movement (PNM) came into power, two of the major new car dealers have been asking the government to reduce the importation of foreign-used cars.

Government is now said to have wilted under pressure from the demands made by the new car dealers.

“The new car dealer will soon be in charge again,” one source told TnT Mirror.

“They will soon rule the car sales market again like long ago when you had to line up to buy a new car.”