An opposition Bill aimed at increasing penalties for driving offences was not debated on Friday after the Government sought to halt the legislation before its second reading, the Shadow Minister of National Security said yesterday.

Jarion Richardson noted that the Road Traffic and Motor Car (Road Safety and Penalties) Act 2026 was intended to cut the number of collisions and deaths on Bermuda’s roads.

The legislation would double “offence punishments, disqualification periods and demerit points” and remove the requirement for police to give advance notice for roadside sobriety checkpoints.

Mr Richardson said the Government sought to kill the Bill before it could be debated, submitting a memo to Dennis Lister, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, claiming that the Act was a “money” Bill that would carry expenses if passed.

While opposition MPs are able to table legislation in the House, such laws must not carry a cost to the public purse.

Mr Richardson said that Mr Lister allowed the One Bermuda Alliance to carry over the Bill to a future sitting so that the Opposition would have an opportunity to respond.

He wrote in an op-ed published today: “The Government did not seek to improve the proposals in committee or offer a better legislative response of its own.

“It sought to prevent Parliament from considering them at all.

“The Bill survived because the Speaker acted fairly.

“The Government was required to share the case it had placed before him and the Opposition was afforded the opportunity to respond.

“The Opposition leader, Deputy Leader and Whip argued that a sudden and potentially irreversible ruling should not be made without the member responsible for the Bill having a proper opportunity to examine the Government’s material, answer its claims and address the wider parliamentary and public interest.

“The Bill was therefore carried over. It was not defeated, withdrawn or removed from Parliament. It remains alive.”

Mr Richardson wrote that action must be taken to address Bermuda’s “road crisis”, arguing that the Government had failed to deliver solutions.

He said: “When the Opposition brought forward concrete legislation, the Government had several legitimate choices.

“It could have supported the Bill, opposed it openly in debate, proposed amendments in committee or introduced a stronger Bill of its own.

“It chose none of them. It tried to kill the legislation before the public could hear the arguments and before Parliament could perform the work it was elected to do.”

Mr Richardson said the OBA will examine the Government’s position, test the figures and review parliamentary authorities to defend the Bill’s right to be debated.

He said: “The Bill survived Friday, but survival is not success.

“Success will mean a proper second-reading debate, detailed committee scrutiny and effective legislation capable of reducing the harm on Bermuda’s roads.

“We will use the summer to do the work. We will return in September prepared to defend the Bill and move it forward.

“The Bill is alive. The road crisis remains. Bermuda will have its road-safety debate.”