PETER Bunting, Minister of National Security, says his ministry is working closely with three other ministries of government to design a new traffic ticketing system for Jamaica.

Bunting told the House of Representatives on Tuesday that the new system will build on the gains of the system which was introduced in September 2010. He said it will reduce the loopholes that allow motorists with unpaid tickets to continue doing business with the Government.

The other ministries involved are: Finance and Planning; Transport, Works and Housing; and Justice. They are working in collaboration with the government’s e-Gov agency, which uses information to revolutionise interactions with its entities, citizens and businesses.

Bunting said the new system will also benefit from the long-awaited amendments to the Road Traffic Act which will, among other things, give motorists a slightly longer time to settle tickets at the tax office, as well as options for paying traffic fines.

“It is expected that the revised proposal from e-Gov will be signed off during the first quarter of the 2014/15 fiscal year, and a timetable for design, development and implementation agreed,” the minister said.

Turning to the issue of the mobility of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Bunting announced that the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has provided a grant of $45.7 million to facilitate the purchase of vehicles for the JCF to fulfill its mandate of monitoring and enforcing the law in the resort areas.

These include: 10 double-cab pickups; one 15-seater bus; four patrol cars; and six motorcycles to be delivered by May-June of 2014. All the vehicles have been delivered, except for the motorcycles, which will be delivered by late May to early June 2014.

With respect to the need for patrol vehicles for Highway 2000, the board of the National Road Operating & Construction Company(NROCC) has agreed to assist by providing $10.4 million for the purchase of two double-cab pickups and two patrol cars which have already been delivered to the JCF.

The JCF is seeking to purchase 400 motorcycles at an estimated cost of US$2.5 million (approximately $280 million for the 2014/2015 fiscal year. This is in an effort to augment the resources dedicated to community policing, with a view to equip each police station with a minimum of two patrol teams to enable detailed systematic patrols of all communities.

According to the JCF, these motorcycle patrols present a low cost opportunity for significant increased police patrol and presence in the short-term.