DEMERIT DELAY DANGER - Road safety advocate says holding off on points sanctions for rogue drivers puts lives at risk

The Government’s announcement that it will delay the implementation of the demerit point system has been met with disappointment from Vice-Chairman of the National Road Safety Council Dr Lucien Jones.

Jones, who has for years campaigned for the application of demerit points as a means to improve road safety and curb dangerous driving, said this latest delay is not only disheartening, but dangerous.

“I can only hope that the delay will only be for a short time, as my understanding is that the ITA (Island Traffic Authority), which manages the system, needs additional support staff to carry out its mandate,” he said.

However, he contends that “when you take out an important – or you cause to delay – a significant part of the system, unless you compensate for it by doing something else, then you undermine the effectiveness of the system”.

The demerit point system was slated to take effect on October 1, 2026.

This would mean that demerit points will be added to driver’s licence of motorists who accumulate traffic tickets for various offences, including speeding.

If a driver gets demerit points above a certain threshold, his or her driver’s licence may be suspended or the driver may be required to pay a fine.

However, following a recent meeting between transport stakeholders and the Public Transport Operators Steering Committee, it was announced that the implementation date will not come into effect “until a full revision of the demerit points system is completed”.

The meeting was convened on the request of Transport Minister Daryl Vaz to review the traffic ticketing demerit points as well as other concerns of the sector.

“The committee reviewed the earlier recommendations that were previously submitted to the minister on the demerit points system. At the end of the meeting, all stakeholders expressed satisfaction at the extensive work done on the demerit points system and lauded the plans for the parking solutions for the public passenger vehicle operators within the [Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region], inter alia,” the Transport Authority said in a statement on Friday.

In August, Vaz had indicated that a review of the implementation of the demerit point system is under way amid concerns about the proposed structure. He said a team from all relevant ministries has been meeting to conduct the review.

He said their preliminary report is due this month and will provide the foundation for the Government’s final decisions, including, if necessary, the establishment of a revised implementation date that is in the best interest of the Jamaican people.

But highlighting that 38 persons have died in August on the nation’s roads as a result of collisions, Jones emphasised the need for measures like the demerit point system to hold traffic violators accountable and prevent fatal crashes.

“There are no magic bullets in road safety as it is all about systems. Safe systems, that we can pull to achieve the mandate of the WHO and reduce the pain and grief that families experience when a loved one dies on the nation’s roads,” he said.

He noted that in order for Jamaica to fulfil the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mandate to reduce road fatalities by 50 per cent by 2030, the island has to reduce the monthly fatality rate to less than 20.

But this target has only been achieved once this year.

As of August 31, 2026, Jamaica has recorded 194 fatal crashes, resulting in the loss of 225 lives. This represents a 13 per cent reduction when compared to the corresponding period in 2025.

Meanwhile, Egerton Newman, president of the Transport Operators Development and Sustainable Services (TODSS), told The Gleaner that the delay will allow for more consultation and better public education about the demerit system.

“There are number of things in the whole issue of demerit points that need to be clarified, especially in terms of what infringement contributes to demerit points, and why,” he said.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com