The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet Minister yesterday said the manufacturing of vehicle license plates by inmates at the Bahamas Department of Corrections is likely to begin within the next two months.

    “I think they’re looking at March/April that they will be producing license plates in the Department of Corrections,” Glenys Hanna Martin, minister of transport and aviation, said. “That will deal with the historic and chronic issue of shortages, and will bring about higher controls, which has historically been a challenge.

“The workforce will be continuously producing as needed as opposed to what we say historically was the Ministry of Works’ shortage of manpower, lack of materials and that so on.”    

The decision to allow inmates to manufacture vehicle license plates, similar to what is done in the US prison system, is a key element of the Government’s strategy to equip inmates with marketable skills during their sentences, thus improving their prospects for obtaining a job or starting their own business when they are released back into society.

 Mrs Hanna Martin yesterday added that reforms to the Road Traffic Act

are being prepared for consultation.

“There’s a draft piece of legislation. It was circulated to internal stakeholders and the next step is to go out for wider consultation,” she said. “It’s a very significant piece of work; it’s big.

“What we did when we began the process is we held a meeting at the police headquarters and we invited various stakeholders. That was the beginning of the effort. It is now going full circle to come back to the stakeholder groups.”

    Mrs Hanna Martin also lauded the roll-out of the Road Traffic Department’s automated system. “Apart from the sort of initial glitches, if you could call it that, I think it’s gone very well,” she added.

“It rolled out in Grand Bahama with minimal issues, having learned from the lessons of Nassau. They have a very aggressive roll-out nationwide. By June I think it will be completed nationwide.

“I think that it’s proving to be very effective. The efficiency level has improved tremendously. The traditional lines that you would have at month’s end at the Clarance A Bain building, you don’t see that.”

    She added: “The first year will be a longer process because you have to provide all of the documentation to get into the system, but after October of this year it will be almost seamless.

“A lot of the delay is in the initial registration. Once you’re in the system it won’t have to be repeated after that. As efficient as it is now it will be more efficient post-October.”