ROGUE motorists are being warned that their days of racking up outstanding traffic tickets are numbered and arrest warrants will be issued for those who have not paid tickets over the past five years.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck issued the warning on Tuesday in his contribution to the debate on amendments to the Transport Authority Act, which were passed, and will help properly bring into effect the new Road Traffic Act (RTA).

“You have some indiscipline and lawless motorists who feel that these tickets can be ignored. They’re collecting traffic tickets like confetti,” Chuck told the House. He said of the 500,000 tickets issued annually over the past five years, an average of 282,000 of these end up in court and less than 70,000 are actually paid.

“It means over 210,000 tickets are not paid; motorists don’t turn up in the courts and it ends up a burden on the courts because you have to issue warrants. Just consider having to write up 210,000 warrants. The Government needs to respond to ensure that when the police issue tickets that they’re complied with,” he stated.

Chuck said electronic warrants will be issued for motorists who have not paid over the five years, and that, in fact, there are more than one million tickets for which warrants should be issued. “The motorists who have not paid over the last five years and more, let it be noted that we have not given up. We are now looking at electronic ticketing — which has started in Kingston and St Andrew — but also to issue warrants electronically. So writing up these tickets, signing these tickets will now be available,” he said.

“I go to the traffic court a few weeks ago and see roomful of traffic tickets…eventually the motorists will have to pay these tickets,” added Chuck.

He pointed out that provisions in the Road Traffic Act will make it almost compulsory for motorists to pay their the tickets or be forced to park the vehicle for which the ticket was issued.He noted that Section 15 of the RTA makes it clear that the Island Traffic Authority will not renew motor vehicle licences, and these licence numbers will be used to affix the penalties, and if the penalties aren’t paid, then those motor vehicles will not be re-licensed when this Act fully comes into operation in a matter of weeks or months.

Similarly, people who fail to pay traffic tickets will have their applications for driver’s licence renewals rejected unless they pay up. “In fact, it is happening now. Persons who lose their driver’s licence and seek to renew it, they recognise that they have tickets to pay,” he said.”When you breach the rules on the road there must be consequences …I can only urge that those motorists who are behaving disorderly, creating chaos on the roadway, to stop it. The Government isn’t interested in all these fines, what the Government is interested in is order and discipline on the road,” he stressed.

Technology Minister Daryl Vaz, at the same time, noted the length of time the amendments had taken to come before Parliament, but emphasised, “It is now time to fix it.” He said a template and a timeline is to be established and working together the ministries and agencies will put together the mechanism which will enable the electronic system to function.

“The indiscipline comes from one thing — no sanctions. So persons do as they please because they are confident that by the time the court system gets around to them they will be old and grey or probably dead. No civilised society can operate without simple discipline and sanctions for non-compliance as it relates to road traffic,” he stated.

Opposition spokesman on transport Mikael Phillips welcomed the changes to the legislation, stressing that enforcement will be key to achieving the desired results of law and order in the country’s transportation system.