SCIENCE, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz is inviting motorists who have encountered major issues with the enforcement of the Road Traffic Act (RTA) to bring them to the Government’s attention so they can be addressed before the review of the legislation is completed at the end of June.

“I’m making an appeal to all those motorists who post things on social media about situations that they have had with tickets that they have got that they don’t feel is fair and just, to reach out to the ministry, reach out to me. Put your position forward and what you are recommending, and of course, we will look at it with a view to [resolving the issue],” he said.

Vaz, who was making his contribution to the 2024/25 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, said several concerns that have been raised as it relates to some of the anomalies in the Act are a part of the review being carried out.

“Only yesterday [June 3, 2024] the Cabinet approved the revisions to the child restraint provisions and those will be coming to Parliament in short order. The Island Traffic Authority, the police, and the Transport Authority are being equipped to effectively carry out their responsibilities under the Act,” he said.

Vaz stressed that the rule of law on the roads must be adhered to, and said there will be no watering down of the legislation.

“Every effort will be made to bring the remaining provisions of the Act into force,” he said.

The RTA was promulgated in 2018 and its regulations in February 2023, bringing most of the Act’s provisions into force.

Meanwhile, turning to the Transport Authority, the minister noted that the entity has recruited 50 additional inspectors and collaborated with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) under its ‘Operation Streamline’ programme to ensure adherence to transportation laws.

He noted that in the past four weeks under this programme the authority has seized over 200 motor vehicles with over 1,500 prosecutions being undertaken for various offences including failure to renew road licences that expired on March 31.

“We are committed to ensuring that PPV operators adhere to the laws of the land; through the enforcement of the recently enacted Road Traffic Regulations, 2022; and public engagement efforts promulgating a culture of lawfulness. A greater responsibility is bestowed on PPV operators who are entrusted to transport the nation’s most valuable assets — our people. The lawlessness will not continue,” he said.

He said Tuesday’s “horrific accident”, which claimed the life of one passenger and injured several others, the aftermath of which he said he witnessed on his way to Parliament, drives home his point that lawlessness on the roads will not be tolerated. The incident, which occurred along Washington Boulevard, involved the collision of a PPV Coaster bus and a truck.