According to Commissioner Anderson, the new Road Traffic Act and Regulations will play a big role in the police’s effort to improve public order in Jamaican society.
Commissioner Anderson told a recent digital news briefing that the new Road Traffic Act and Regulations are a welcome change and a significant milestone to improve road safety. And they are integrated with the modern Traffic Ticketing Management System (TTMS) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).
“The JCF used the smart tech system to look up data on road users and vehicles, and this system is integrated into the TTMS,” he said, adding that the technology “improves the efficiency of our officers and reduces undue delays for motorists.”
Commissioner Anderson
The Commission said the JCF has acquired 850 ticketing devices deployed across the island, and he expects paper tickets to phase out by the end of the year.
He interjected that the police issued 720,000 tickets last year, up from 451,000 issued in 2021.
General Anderson noted that the police also acquired additional public order enforcement tools, such as noise decibels and tint meters. He said these would come on stream soon because motorcars, motorcycles, and entertainment noise has been a nuisance to many people.
“So people who operate without due consideration for the wider public, the decibel meter will be used by our public order and traffic teams to regulate the noise levels better.”
Commissioner Anderson
The Commissioner stressed that while the new Road Traffic Act facilitates additional offenses and greater fines, the provisions are primarily designed to ensure greater safety on the public thoroughfare.
According to Anderson, the revised law allows the TTMS to be optimized through automation from the moment a breach is detected to the enforcement process to the courts. It will detect whether a ticket remains unpaid after 30 days or if being disputed.
People who feel the law is unfairly enforced should ascertain the name and number of the officer and the number of the vehicle involved and make a formal report to High Command.