Gov’t Seeking to Collect Billions in Traffic Fines

A Bill, seeking a six-month amnesty for the collection of billions of dollars in unpaid traffic tickets, was tabled on April 17 in the House of Representatives.

The Bill, Road Traffic (Temporary Ticket Amnesty) Act, 2012 was tabled by Leader of Government Business in the Lower House, Hon. Phillip Paulwell.

It will facilitate the collection of fines for unpaid and unadjudicated traffic tickets issued to motorists by the police, up to September 20, 2010.

Under the proposed amnesty, the ticket holder will not be liable to be convicted of the offence for which he has paid the outstanding traffic fine, and proceedings shall not be taken against him or her for that offence.

Also, no demerit points shall be recorded against the licence of that person, and any warrant that has been issued by the Resident Magistrate or a Justice of the Peace on account of that offence, or court appearance to answer any charge relating thereto, shall be null and void and of no effect.

It is estimated that there are more than one million traffic tickets outstanding, and fines totalling in excess of $2 billion.

By Latonya Linton, JIS Reporter