Speed and Licence Plate Cameras Coming

The Ministry of National Security is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Works Agency (NWA), to utilise speed cameras and licence plate cameras on the nation’s streets.

This was disclosed by Portfolio Minister, Hon. Robert Montague as he addressed the launch of the United Nations (UN) Global Road Safety Week, held yesterday (May 4) at the Ministry of Transport and Mining’s Maxfield Avenue offices.

“It will enhance the new Road Traffic Act, because it will allow the courts to utilise the electronically generated tickets. We are going to be utilising technology in assisting, because the police are low with numbers in monitoring some of the activities on the street,” Mr. Montague said.

The Minister is also encouraging delinquent motorists to take advantage of the 60-day amnesty to pay the fines on outstanding traffic tickets, without incurring a penalty or interest. The amnesty is to begin on July 1.

“We want persons to make use of it, because the fees under the new Act are going to be much more expensive than under the old Act. So, starting July, this Government is displaying again its caring attitude to the motoring public and giving them an opportunity to make good on their obligations and to encourage them to utilise the amnesty,” Mr. Montague said.

He also informed that the police issued some 66,000 traffic tickets for 2016, of which 3,600 were related to speeding.

The fourth UN Global Road Safety Week will be held from May 8-14, 2017 under the theme ‘Slow it Down’.

The week of activities will focus on speed and what can be done to arrest this risk factor for road traffic crashes, deaths and injuries.

More than 50 per cent of road crashes in low- and middle-income countries are caused by speeding.

In Jamaica last year, 379 persons were killed in road traffic crashes and, so far, this year, the figure stands at 110.