DESPITE two amnesties by the Government to recover monies from outstanding traffic tickets dating back to 2010, millions of dollars are still owing.

Though a significant number of tickets were paid, Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Traffic Ticketing Director Outeou Gordon said the total value of tickets still outstanding from September 2010 to July 2017 — the period covered by the first amnesty — is $150,594,700.

“The total value of tickets outstanding prior to the first amnesty was $625,682,700. The total value of tickets paid in this first period (August 2 to October 31, 2017) was $597,283,100,” Gordon said, but explained that $128,132,400 from the paid amount was for regular payment on tickets issued between the August 2 and October 31, 2017 amnesty period.

That left $156,532,000 of outstanding payments for tickets issued between September 2010 and July 2017.

The first amnesty took effect on August 2, 2017 and ended on October 31, 2017. It was instituted to allow delinquent motorists to make payments for outstanding traffic tickets issued between September 1, 2010 and July 31, 2017; clear their driving record before the enactment of the new Road Traffic Act; improve the efficiency of the court; and reduce the number of cases in the court.

Following the first amnesty period the House of Representatives approved another amnesty for unpaid traffic tickets. This second amnesty ran from November 27, 2017 to January 13, 2018.

The purpose was to provide motorists who had missed the first amnesty with another opportunity to fulfil their legal obligations.

Then Minister of National Security Robert Montague warned that motorists who failed to make use of that second opportunity would be vigorously pursued.

The second amnesty saw $5,937,300 of the $156,532,000 outstanding payments from the first amnesty being recovered.

According to Gordon, during the period of the second amnesty, 126,642 tickets were paid with 98,814 related to the amnesty (September 2010 to July 2017) and 27,828 related to tickets issued during that period of amnesty (November 2017 to January 2018).

He further explained that, after the second amnesty ended, 49,311 tickets for the September 1, 2010 and July 31, 2017 period were outstanding, down from the initial number of 300,585.

As at July 2018, Gordon shared that a total of 80,270 tickets were outstanding at a value of $212,347,300.

The JCF has appealed to motorists with outstanding traffic tickets to settle arrears in order to avoid being issued with warrants for their arrest.