The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A final draft of revisions to “revolutionise” the country’s Road Traffic Act have been completed according to controller Ross Smith, telling Tribune Business that the final proposal should ready by summer’s end.

In a recent interview with Tribune Business, Mr Smith said: “We had a consultation recently where we looked at the Act. There has been public consultation in various aspects with the relevant stakeholders looking at the Act itself and trying to see what are the changes that are necessary to improve the Act. Its been done piece meal over the years. To change the Act itself will be revolutionary in that the entire Act would be the Road Traffic Act. That’s being looked at. We have had our final draft presented by the consultant. We expect the actual final proposal sometime by the end of the summer.”

Back in April it was reported that Canadian Neville Weeks, an independent transportation consultant had been chosen to spearhead the revision of the Road Traffic Act, with a view to modernising the country’s transportation system. The Road Traffic Act has had very few changes since 1958.

Apart from revisions to the Act, the automation of key services at the Road Traffic Department is one of the major undertakings set to “radically change” the department over the next few years, with a ‘vehicle titling system’ set to be a part of that new system.

Back in June, Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin decried the “antiquated” state of the RTD and listed it as a “critical area for reform” given its revenue-generating potential. According to the minister, the RTD is the third revenue earner in the country. The government forecast revenue of $39m from motor vehicles for the 2014/2015 budget. Mrs Hanna-Martin said that the government is moving to automate and modernise the department.