Following a series of strikes by bus and taxi operators across the island in November, the government has approved a 48-day traffic ticket amnesty.
In November, bus and taxi operators voted in favour of a three-day strike, demanding a ticket amnesty before the enactment of the new road traffic act, the Road Traffic Act 2018 (RTA 2018). Prime Minister Andrew Holness condemned what he described as lawlessness and disorder carried out by some individuals during the strike, and his office maintained that motorists must pay their fines.
Subsequent to Monday’s Cabinet meeting, the Office of the Prime Minister issued a statement speaking on the implementation of the traffic act in February 2023 and announced a traffic ticket amnesty. According to the statement, the issuing of the amnesty was made in response to the public demand for a transparent and accountable traffic ticket management system and the effective implementation of RTA 2018.
Demerit points and tickets accrued up to February 1, 2018, will be rendered null and will not transition to the RTA 2018. The statement added that demerit points will be expunged upon implementation of RTA 2018, provided that the tickets accrued after February 1, 2018, are paid before February 1, 2023.
The amnesty ends on January 31, 2023, and new sittings, including night court and Saturday court, have been implemented at the Corporate Area Traffic Court to accommodate the increase in motorists wishing to clear outstanding tickets.
View the Office of the Prime Minister’s full statement below.
