AFTER two years on the tables of the Parliament, the new Road Traffic Act will not be implemented prior to the February 25 general election.

The Bill suffered its setback last Friday in the Senate when Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding informed colleagues that additional amendments would have to be made at a later date.

After being amended in the Senate, the Bill will have to be sent to the House of Representatives, where it originated, after the election and then sent to the new Cabinet.

Golding told the Senate that a very important amendment will be made to Section 105, which deals with fixed penalties.

The amendment will facilitate payment of tickets at tax offices, or online, at any time prior to adjudication of the case by the court. It will also provide for an additional incremental fee paid on a monthly basis if the ticket is not paid within the 30-day period.

“This is really to facilitate the payment of tickets by persons at any time before the matter is concluded in the court, online or at the tax office, without the motorist having to travel to the particular parish where the offence occurred, which is often a great inconvenience both to the motorist and the police, and will facilitate payment at the tax office after the initial 30-day period for each month they are in arrears settling the ticket,” Golding explained.

Opposition Senator Kavan Gayle, who was a member of the joint select committee chaired by Golding, said that he saw the need for motorists to be required to have their driver’s licence with them all the time, as well as for stricter rules in obtaining driver’s licences.

“The manner in which one obtains a driver’s licence needs to be much more rigorous and stringent,” Gayle advised the Senate.

However, his suggestion for the revenues from the tickets and fines to be allocated to road improvement was rejected by Government Senator Noel Sloley, who insisted that the heavy increases in fines were aimed at discouraging traffic infringements and not to finance road repairs.

Sloley also called for a islandwide public education programme on the provisions of the Act, especially in schools, to ensure that young people are not criminalised.

“The Bill is going to have a major impact, but it can be far more impactful if we make sure that all the people know what the changes are all about,” Slolely said.