Electronic Signatures Soon on Warrants for Delinquent Motorists

Legislation is to be brought to Parliament shortly for the implementation of electronic signatures for warrants issued to motorists with outstanding tickets.

Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure during a meeting of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), held at the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday (February 9).

He said Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, has been tasked with the duty of ensuring that electronic signatures for warrants are now a part of the legal system.

“It has to be passed in the next two weeks. So, Minister Chuck, you will have to work overtime to get that done,” Prime Minister Holness said.

“Once that is in place, then an unpaid ticket which has passed the time for payment at the Tax Office is now a candidate for the issuing of a warrant. Once a warrant is issued, the policeman doesn’t have to call into base to check; the police will have the capabilities to immediately check and see whether a warrant is out for your arrest,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness is urging all road users to get acquainted with the Road Traffic Act and the Regulations.

“I’m urging all road users, drivers, motorists, pedestrians, motorcycle riders – you now have a duty; ignorance of the law is no excuse. You now have a duty to find out about the law inasmuch as the Government has a duty to put the information out there about the law,” he stated.

The Prime Minister is also calling on the police to apply discretion while enforcing the law, noting that they should not use it as an opportunity for exploitation.

“The police do have their internal mechanisms doing their quality-control check. I do know that the leadership of the police is very concerned about complaints of corruption and citizens offering bribes or policemen asking for bribes. This cannot be tolerated, because it undermines the confidence of the citizens,” Mr. Holness said.

He added that the leadership of the force should step up its “interdiction process for those policemen who give the force a bad name”.