Ticket amnesty to run for six months

Hundreds of thousands of persons with outstanding traffic tickets stand to benefit from an amnesty that is now in effect.

The amnesty, which took effect July 1 and is scheduled to last for six months, will only apply to tickets issued before September 21, 2010.

Under the amnesty, which was announced yesterday by the Ministry of National Security, persons who come in and pay off their fines will be completely cleared of the related offences.

"All attached penalties, including loss of points and the obligation to attend court, will no longer apply," a statement from the ministry said.

The ministry acknowledged that the amnesty, which was approved by Parliament in April, was an attempt to clear the huge backlog of unpaid parking tickets that has piled up over several years.

Fresh start

"It will allow many drivers to make a fresh start and help to clear the thousands of outstanding traffic tickets, while also bringing much needed relief to the already over-burdened court system," National Security Minister Peter Bunting said of the initiative.

Bunting, however, warned that persons who do not take advantage of the amnesty would have "the full force of the law brought against them".

"During the period of the amnesty, the authorities will continue to enforce the law, so persons with outstanding tickets are still liable for prosecution until and unless they take advantage of the amnesty," he said.

The national security minister warned that persons with unpaid tickets could also have difficulty renewing their driver's licence, public passenger vehicle badge, and road licence.

"The Government is offering this pardon to certain categories of traffic offenders to enable them to become compliant with the law while maintaining the integrity of our traffic- ticketing system," he said.

In addition, Bunting said it was part of the Government's continued thrust to encourage responsible use of the nation's roadways.

Bunting revealed that a comprehensive review of the Road Traffic Act was nearing completion.

Ticketed traffic offenders can make payments at any of the 29 tax collectorates islandwide.

The Ministry of National Security will also be operating a call centre between 8:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. Mondays to Fridays to provide the public with specific information on outstanding tickets.

The numbers for the call centres are: 928-2155, 928-3450, 928-9831, 928-4181, 930-3505, 930-0147, and 930-0042.