Legislation to address noisy kites coming soon

Government will be going to parliament next week to amend the Minor Offences Act to seek to address the growing issue of noisy kites flying over neighbourhoods at night.

Attorney General Dale Marshall while speaking during a post-cabinet news conference on Friday said: “We are, going to be laying in parliament on Tuesday, a piece of legislation, which for the first time will attempt to bring some abatement to that dreadful nuisance, that affects so many Barbadians.”

Marshall explained that with these amendments, kite flyers can have their kites in the skies as long as they want if it does not have a “bull”.

However, kites that have “bulls” must not be flown past 7:00 p.m. or the owners will be subject to pay a fixed penalty of $500.

“So the essence of this is that at 7:00 p.m in the night, that kite has to come down and it cannot be flown again until six the next morning. So that means between 7:00p.m at night and 6:00 a.m any persons flying a kite with a bull or any other kind of noise-making apparatus will find themselves afoul of the law,” Marshall explained.

He added: “[Persons guilty] will be subjected on summary conviction to a fine of $5,000 or possibly to imprisonment. But you would know that this administration has taken the view that we really need to get out of this whole thing about locking up people all the time. And therefore, this involves a ticketing element. If found contravening the law, you will get a fixed penalty of  $500. So you pay the penalty, no issue. If on the other hand, you insist on proceeding to court, then of course, you may find yourself subject to the full penalties of the law, as determined by the magistrate who hears the matter. (AL)