The long-awaited Road Traffic Act (RTA) takes another step to implementation today when the Senate meets to debate the Bill. This should be the final step for the Bill which is to repeal and replace the existing 1938 Act.

It was passed in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 6. But, despite several assurances from the former Transport Minister Mike Henry that it would have been in place by early 2018, the Senate debate slowed the progress and caused it to drag on.

The Bill — which was passed with 131 amendments — established new offences, as well as provide increased penalties for road traffic breaches. It also included features such as a restriction on handheld devices and a requirement for drivers to have their licence always in their possession while operating a vehicle.

Offences with heavy fines include: driving without required motor vehicle insurance coverage ($20,000); driving a motor vehicle without being the holder of a permit or driver’s licence ($40,000); failure to obey traffic light ($24,000); loud noises within silence zones and failure to wear a protective helmet ($5,000); failure to comply with traffic signs ($10,000); and failure to stop at pedestrian crossings ($12,000).

Henry hailed the support of the measures from both sides of the House of Representatives when he closed the debate in February, noting that it is intended to reduce injuries and loss of life on the nation’s roads. The Government will be hoping for a similar level of cooperation in the Senate to ensure that it is passed today.

Henry had insisted that with the new Act in place, the authorities would be able to reduce the injuries or, better yet, eliminate them.

“We would save the health sector millions of dollars and make greater contributions to economic growth and development with less grief on the road,” he said then.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/auto/road-traffic-act-likely-passed-today_131646

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