Gov’t senators draw brakes on move to give motorists more time
Published:Saturday | January 28, 2023 | 1:15 AM
Attempts by opposition lawmakers to amend a bill extending the period of reprieve to recalcitrant motorists who have unpaid tickets were met with objection from their government counterparts who voted against the proposal.
The Senate yesterday passed The Road Traffic (Reprieve and Nullification of Prescribed Notices) Act, 2023, granting a reprieve to motorists who had failed to pay the sums for tickets they did not clear up within the 21-day stipulated deadline.
Opposition Senator Lambert Brown suggested an amendment to extend the date from when the reprieve ends on January 31 to April 30. This was rejected by the Senate with eight government senators voting against the proposal while six opposition senators gave support to the recommendation.
Leader of Government Business Kamina Johnson Smith made it clear that everyone who has had a ticket within the reprieve period of February 1, 2018, and January 31, 2023, and has paid within that period will have their demerit points removed.
“The persons who played by the rules will not be shafted vis-à-vis the other. All demerits points will be removed under Clause 5 of the bill.
“If they had gotten a court date, but the court date did not allow them to pay before January 31, they will have a process under way so there will be no warrant issued for them unless they miss the court date, but they will not benefit from the demerit points reprieve,” Johnson Smith explained.