Island Traffic Authority gets $119.75 Million for Modernization

The Island Traffic Authority (ITA) will receive a subvention of $119.75 million from the government this fiscal year, which will be used to promulgate the Island Traffic Authority Bill, establish the ITA as a statutory authority, and reform the composition and functions of the new authority.
The funds will also go towards implementing new arrangements for the modernization of the ITA and in the interim, the transformation of the authority into an Executive Agency, which includes the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer, and the implementation of a new management structure.
As set out in a document tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday (May 30) by Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Robert Pickersgill, the ITA in 2007/08, will also seek Cabinet’s directive as to the way forward with respect to Motor Vehicle Inspection Services (MVIS), arising out of a recent study conducted by Price/Waterhouse/Coopers.
Cabinet will decide whether the MVIS should be privatized or remain as a unit of the modernized ITA. In addition, repairs are to be undertaken on depots in Mandeville, Manchester; Black River, St. Elizabeth; May Pen, Clarendon; St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann; Montego Bay, St. James and Falmouth in Trelawny.
According to the document, the authority, in keeping with its mandate to ensure safety of the roadways through the administration of the Road Traffic Act, focused on a number of key regulatory activities during the last fiscal year.
These activities included motor vehicle inspections; examination of vehicles during spot checks; weighing of vehicles; issuing of certificates of fitness and certificates of competence; inspection of vehicles involved in accidents; and drivers’ licences examinations.
In addition, some $12.4 million was spent to carry out repairs to five examination depots, which was destroyed by hurricane in 2005. These are Morant Bay, St. Thomas; Spanish Town, St. Catherine; Swallowfield and Spanish Town Road in Kingston; and Lucea, Hanover.
Also, the Manhattan Road offices were relocated to refurbished premises at 145 Maxfield Avenue, and new offices are to be built at Manhattan Road to house the head office of the modernized authority, the document said.