The decision by the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department to intensify enforcement of the country’s vehicle tint regulations deserves public support. The approach being taken by Traffic Chief Mahendra Singh is important with respect to ensuring that road safety laws are respected consistently and that businesses involved in the installation of vehicle tint also recognise their responsibilities under the law.
The issue is not whether vehicle owners should be allowed to tint their vehicles. The issue is whether tint is being installed and used within the limits established by law.
The Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Tint) Regulations, gazetted on January 1, 2026, provide clear standards for the amount of light that must pass through vehicle windows. Front side windows must permit at least 25 percent Visible Light Transmission (VLT), while rear side windows and the rear windscreen must permit at least 20 percent. Tinting is prohibited on the front windscreen, apart from a permitted visor strip.
These requirements were not introduced without consideration and motorists were given a three-month amnesty period following the introduction of the regulations to test their tint and make the necessary adjustments. Full enforcement commenced on April 1, 2026, with a $30,000 fine applicable for non-compliance.
There has therefore been ample time for vehicle owners and tint installers to familiarise themselves with the requirements.
The reported enforcement figures indicate that non-compliance remains widespread. According to Singh, more than 100 tint-related cases have been recorded each week since enforcement began, with the majority involving excessively dark front windscreens.
Such figures should not be dismissed as merely another example of police enforcement. Excessively dark tint can have serious implications for road safety, particularly by reducing visibility into and out of vehicles. The ability of motorists, pedestrians and law enforcement officers to see clearly around a vehicle is an important component of safe road use.
The use of calibrated tint meters by the Traffic Department is particularly important. Enforcement must be based on objective measurements rather than personal judgment. A calibrated instrument provides a consistent means of determining whether a vehicle meets the legal standard and helps protect both motorists and enforcement officers from unnecessary disputes.
The decision to extend scrutiny to tint installers is equally significant.
If a business knowingly installs tint that does not comply with the law, responsibility should not rest solely with the vehicle owner. Businesses that provide specialised services have a duty to understand the regulations governing their operations and to ensure that customers are not encouraged or enabled to breach them.
This is not an argument for the closure of tint businesses as indeed; Singh has correctly emphasised that the enforcement exercise is not intended to remove legitimate businesses from the marketplace. Rather, the objective is compliance.
There is considerable room for tint installers to remain profitable while operating within the law. Compliance can become a selling point rather than a threat to the industry. Businesses that properly advise customers about permissible VLT levels and install compliant products can help motorists avoid fines while contributing to safer road conditions.
The Traffic Department must, however, ensure that enforcement against installers is carried out with the same fairness, consistency and evidentiary standards expected in every other aspect of traffic policing. Before a vendor is charged, there must be clear evidence establishing responsibility and knowledge of the unlawful installation. The law must be applied firmly, but also properly.
When regulations are introduced but violations are routinely overlooked, respect for the law gradually weakens. Once a practice becomes widespread, reversing it becomes considerably more difficult. Effective enforcement at an early stage is therefore preferable to allowing non-compliance to become entrenched.
Guyana’s roads already face significant challenges, including congestion, reckless driving and other forms of non-compliance. Every reasonable measure that can improve visibility, accountability and adherence to established road rules should be welcomed.
The Traffic Chief’s position that enforcement is being undertaken for the benefit of the public is therefore worthy of support. The responsibility now rests with motorists, tint installers and the business community to understand the regulations and comply with them.
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