Trending in Jamaica News: Taxi Operators demand traffic ticket amnesty
The opposition spokesman on Education, Damion Crawford, has indicated that he supported the Ticket Amnesty taxi operators are demanding the Government grant them. But that will never happen. The Government needs the revenue.
Taxi operators disrupted their service to the public on Monday, November 14, 2022, demanding that the Holness administration grant them amnesty for traffic tickets accrued. Unfortunately, the action left hundreds of commuters, including school children, stranded.
So far, the Government is yet to respond to the taxi operators’ demand.
But the Opposition Spokesman on Education, Damion Crawford, thinks the Government should capitulate and agree to grant the taxi operators a traffic amnesty for outstanding tickets but with strict conditions attached.
Crawford suggested the Government should grant the taxi operators a three-year reprieve on traffic ticket payments. Still, it should add a clause that if they commit new traffic offences during the three years, all outstanding tickets will become due immediately.
Crawford thinks the measure would serve as a deterrent and motivation for taxi operators to be better drivers on the public thoroughfare. But also will cause them to believe that there is fairness in Government policies. Crawford hinted that he believes that taxi operators are demanding a traffic amnesty because the Government grants an amnesty for illegal guns.
Crawford argued that once you grant amnesty for illegal guns, you encourage taxi operators to compare the devastation of gun violence in Jamaica to breaking a traffic law. Therefore, if you give amnesty for unlawful firearms, it shouldn’t be that hard to grant a traffic ticket amnesty as well.
Crawford made some good points. But the reason Government will never grant a traffic ticket amnesty, traffic tickets put money in the coffers, and the Government needs all the revenue it can get. So the estimated payment from each sector is baked into the budget. Hence, granting a traffic ticket amnesty would mean you are giving away money that the Government needs.