Jamaica: No licence renewals for outstanding traffic ticket holders

Justice Minister, Delroy Chuck, is warning that under the new Road Traffic Act, motorists with outstanding traffic tickets will not be able to renew their driver’s licence.

“What will happen is that we are going to match all these unpaid traffic tickets with the drivers’ licences, so when you go to renew your licence, you cannot get it unless you pay the outstanding tickets,” Chuck emphasised.

Against this background, he urged persons with outstanding tickets, which he said amounts to billions of dollars, to settle these as soon as possible or face the consequences for failing to do so.

The Minister was speaking at a training session organised by the Ministry for Justices of the Peace (JPs) at Sandals Montego Bay in St. James on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Chuck advised that traffic violations will no longer be brought before the courts unless tickets issued for same are being contested.

“So we will have less burden on the courts, because right now the traffic courts are overburdened trying to deal with traffic violators,” he pointed out.

Penalties under the new Road Traffic Act include driving without the requisite motor vehicle insurance coverage – $20,000; driving a motor vehicle without being the holder of a permit or driver’s licence – $40,000; failure of a driver to obey traffic signals – $24,000; loud noises within silence zones and failure to wear a protective helmet – $5,000; failure to comply with traffic signs – $10,000; and failure to stop at pedestrian crossings when these are being used – $12,000.

The training session was held to update JPs on the Act as well as the services of the Legal Aid Council and Administrator General’s Department.