Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
Powell: Don't pay any bribe; if they ask you for any money just call me at 383-2305 or call Kingfish at 811. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE LACK of a proper information system at the Police Traffic Headquarters in Kingston has prevented the Government from collecting over $90 million from delinquent motorists.
"So far this year, we have about 30,000 outstanding warrants and most of these persons are minibus drivers," Senior Superintendent Elan Powell disclosed yesterday during a Gleaner Editors' Forum at the company's North Street offices in central Kingston.
He said the police have issued over 300,000 traffic tickets, noting that last year the police had 25,000 outstanding warrants, 10,000 of which they were able to execute through various strategies. "We visited the addresses given by some of these motorists, but the information turned out to be false," said SSP Powell.
While extending an open invitation to those motorists with outstanding tickets to come forward and sort themselves out, the senior officer has warned that under the new multimillion-dollar ticketing system, delin-quent motorists will not be able to renew their passports, driver's licence, or even license their vehicles at the Inland Revenue Department.
The high-tech ticketing system, which was introduced to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) more than a year ago, is designed to help the police identify motorists who are licensed firearm holders and even criminals who are on the police's most wanted list. "This new system is near completion and will be soon up and running," emphasised SSP Powell.
POLICE RECOMMENDATIONS
He is hoping the system will become effective by September.
In the meantime, the police said recommendations have been made for the Road Traffic Act to be amended. This will empower the police to seize vehicles operating illegally, while motorists travelling without their driver's licence will now be prosecuted. Under the present system, they are allowed several days to produce their licences.
SSP Powell has also appealed to motorists not to pay any bribe to police personnel who prosecute and then attempt to solicit money from them.
"Don't pay them anything; if they ask you for any money just call me at 383-2305 or call Kingfish at 811," the senior officer urged.
