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Proposed fines to keep taxis in line

Published:Monday | March 9, 2015 | 2:19 PM
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Jermaine Barnaby
This taxi driver blocks the path of a Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus while picking up a passenger in Greater Portmore, St Catherine.
Norman Grindley
A cabbie obstructs traffic by picking up passengers in a no-parking area of downtown Kingston.
Jermaine Barnaby
A passenger exits a cab at the entrance to the Portmore toll road in St Catherine.
Norman Grindley
A taxi driver lets off passengers in a line of traffic in Half-Way Tree, St Andrew.
Norman Grindley
Passengers make their way from this taxi which failed to pull off the road in South Parade, downtown Kingston.
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Travelling through the Corporate Area each day, commuters never fail to see taxi drivers flouting the law in one manner or another.

With amendments to the Road Traffic Act recently discussed among members of a joint select committee of Parliament, Jamaicans can expect to see legislators establish a host of increased or new fines aimed at deterring drivers, including those same taxi operators, from putting lives at risk and making life generally uncomfortable for all.

Among the proposed fines are:

- Driving motor vehicle without it being licensed in the prescribed manner - $10,000.

- Driving motor vehicle contrary to terms of licence - $15,000.

- Driving motor vehicle in violation of rules of the road by:

(a) failing to keep to the nearside of road when approaching or being overtaken - $5,000.

(b) overtaking on the nearside of other traffic $5,000.

(c) failing to allow passage to other overtaking vehicles - $10,000.

- Failing to obey red light or stop sign - $12,000.

- Failing to comply with any other traffic sign - $8,000.

- Careless driving where no collision occurs - $11,000.

- Careless driving where collision occurs - $25,000.