Five per cent of traffic fines to boost road safety efforts, says Vaz

I am pleased to announce the approval of a five per cent allocation of traffic fines to the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications that will bolster national road safety efforts,” Vaz told the House.“This works out to about 13 million per month. Some of these funds will be dedicated to public education and behaviour-change interventions across the country,” he added.Vaz said the policy is being updated to reflect current realities and align with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030. The updated framework will guide targeted interventions to reduce fatalities and injuries, while strengthening coordination across government.He also disclosed that an international tender has begun to secure expertise in designing and executing this sustained national road safety campaign.In the meantime, Vaz said that through sustained partnership among the Transport Authority, the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Island Traffic Authority, islandwide monitoring activities have been sustained.“These collaborations continue to improve order and safety within the public transportation system,” he said. He shared that during the period under review, 1,915 vehicles operating illegally were seized and 19,413 enforcement actions were carried out against operators for various breaches.“These measures have strengthened compliance, improved order in the sector, and contributed to a record licensing year, reflecting a 3.8 per cent increase over the previous year,” Vaz said.