240,000 traffic tickets cleared from backlog

The Ministry of National Security is reporting that some 240,000 traffic tickets have been cleared following major software modifications to the island’s Traffic Ticket Management System.

The Ministry explains that the system is a centralised, web-based system that was introduced in September 2010 by eGov to improve ticket management from the point where tickets are issued to an offender to either being paid at the tax office or adjudicated in court.

It further explains that the major update ensures accurate information is available to government agencies such as the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Courts, among other stakeholders.

The national security ministry says the 240,000 traffic tickets were recorded as failed payments from September 2010 to April 2019.

Senior Director for the Ministry’s Major Technology Transformation Branch, Arvel Grant, says the almost ten-year backlog can be attributed to “errors in interpreting the driver’s license number or traffic offence code on the handwritten tickets, creating scenarios where a ticket was paid at the Tax Authority, however the ensuing ticket update failed the verification process”.

Grant further explained that “over the years, those failed verifications accumulated and the related traffic tickets remained labelled as outstanding tickets. The recent update corrected this issue, cleared the ten-year backlog and enhanced the integrity of traffic ticketing data”.

Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, says the Ministry has identified that poor data entry is an ongoing issue and is embarking on a pilot project to replace the manual ticketing system.

“The proposed handheld ticketing solution will comprise a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet and a mobile printer which will allow JCF officers to efficiently validate offenders’ driver’s license and vehicle registration, while facilitating the production of accurate and legible traffic tickets, significantly reducing data entry errors”, said Chang.  

Further system improvements and preventative measures are in progress to ensure there is no repeat of the failed payment buildup.

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