What you need to know about the traffic ticket amnesty

Delinquent motorists can now make payments for outstanding traffic tickets dating back to September 2010.

The Government’s traffic ticket amnesty took effect on August 2 and ends on October 31, 2017.

Motorists can make payments online at www.jamaicatax.gov.jm, using any valid internationally accepted credit card, provided that the traffic ticket number is reflected.

Motorists can also visit any tax office islandwide to make payments by presenting their traffic ticket or by providing the ticket number for easy processing.

For the period of the amnesty, Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) will open on Saturdays, starting August 12, at several offices from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

• St Andrew

• Montego Bay

• Mandeville

• Savanna-la-Mar

• Spanish Town

• May Pen

• St Ann’s Bay

• Portmore

Motorists can make further queries on outstanding tickets by contacting the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s specially arranged Traffic Ticket Amnesty Call Centre at 948-0411 Mondays to Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

The House of Representatives recently passed the Road Traffic (Temporary Ticket Amnesty) Act 2017.

The objective of the law is to:

• Enhance revenue administration and collection

• Afford persons an opportunity to clear their driving record before the enactment of the new Road Traffic Act

• Improve the efficiency of the courts

• Reduce the number of cases in the court.

• Data show that outstanding traffic tickets in the courts total $2,283,841,900.

• Additionally, the records of the Inland Revenue Department show $565,925,300 in outstanding traffic tickets as at December 31, 2016.