Dear Editor,

Am I missing something? It was published in the news recently that there was a stampede at the motor vehicle departments of tax offices to meet a deadline for learner’s permits for people who don’t want to take the written test.

Is this for real? With Jamaica recording one of the highest death tolls annually due to road accidents it should be mandatory for all drivers and prospective drivers to take and pass a written road code test.

And, yes, this test should be retroactive.

This transport minister is not serious. We all know that a black market exists for people to buy driver’s licences. And, because of this, we all know that there are a lot of illiterates owning licences. The written test would help to solve this problem, especially in regard to taxi and Coaster bus drivers who think they own the road. Undercover police should infiltrate the process to identify those who are selling licences and let the law take its course.

What’s more, the minister issued too many taxi licences, which exacerbated the problem; and, therefore, caused more congestion and confusion on the road.

All drivers should be able to read and understand the road code. A three-hour defensive driving course should be added to the mix to improve one’s driving skills. And insurance companies could offer a discount for those who take such classes.

In all the whole system needs an overhaul. First and foremost, every driver with no exception should be required to carry their driver’s licence on their person at all times. A driver’s licence is national proof of identification. When a police officer stops a motorist the first thing he or she should ask for is one’s licence and proof of insurance. If for some reason it is not with the person then that should attract an automatic $5,000 fine. Police cars should be equipped with computers linked to the motor vehicle database to verify if the vehicle and driver are legitimate. That is why used cars for police was such a bad idea to begin with. Plus, no police officer should be allowed to own taxis, because that is a direct conflict of interest. And, if a driver hasn’t paid his ticket in a timely manner, say within 60 days, his licence should be automatically suspended.

These are my two cents.

Noel Mitchell

Westchester, New York, USA

nlmworld@yahoo.com