Judiciary holds Kingston and St Andrew traffic ticket public days at National Arena

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Judiciary of Jamaica has rejected reports that motorists arrested on outstanding warrants during the recently concluded Traffic Ticket Public Days were temporarily held in a bathroom at the National Arena. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the judiciary said individuals who were unable to immediately pay court-imposed fines were placed in a designated changing room while arrangements were made for their transportation or other next steps. According to the judiciary, the room had access to bathroom facilities, allowing those being held to attend to their personal needs while awaiting transportation or alternative arrangements. READ: CAD defends decision to hold motorists arrested on warrants in National Arena bathroom The judiciary doubled down that persons temporarily held in this area were not members of the general public who attended the event, nor were they persons being indiscriminately detained based on outstanding warrants. “They represented the relatively small number of individuals who, after appearing before the court, were unable to pay the fines imposed. In several instances, persons were afforded time to contact relatives or friends who could assist them with payment of the fines. Where payment could not be made, individuals awaited transportation by the police to the relevant police stations, in accordance with established legal procedures,” the judiciary said. It noted that the temporary holding area was maintained in a clean and hygienic condition throughout the event. “The facility was regularly cleaned, and every effort was made to ensure that persons were treated with dignity and respect while awaiting transportation or the completion of arrangements concerning their fines. Additionally, a medical team from the Ministry of Health and Wellness was stationed immediately beside the area to ensure that, should any medical need arise, prompt assessment and assistance were readily available,” the judiciary added. It said preliminary data indicate that 10 people were taken into custody on Wednesday, July 8, because they were unable to pay their fines, while six individuals were taken into custody on Thursday, July 9, under similar circumstances. It noted that at least one individual taken into custody on Wednesday indicated that he had attended the event, prepared to serve the custodial sentence rather than pay the fine imposed. The judiciary maintained that the Traffic Ticket Public Days were designed to provide Jamaicans with an efficient and accessible opportunity to resolve outstanding traffic matters. “Thousands of persons attended and were able to settle their cases without incident. The number of individuals who were ultimately taken into custody represented a very small fraction of the persons served during the exercise,” the judiciary added. The judiciary said that while data entry and reconciliation of the Traffic Ticket Public Days are ongoing, preliminary figures indicate that $97,454,200 in fines were collected over the two-day exercise at the National Arena. The judiciary said the total number of traffic tickets disposed of, along with other operational statistics, is still being finalised. It said a comprehensive update on the exercise will be provided upon completion of the data verification and reconciliation process.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Transport Minister Daryl Vaz is warning that there will be zero tolerance for traffic violators come October 1, 2026, when the demerit point system under the Road Traffic Act, 2018, and Road Traffic Regulations, 2022, will take effect. "For the October 1st implementation of the demerit system, we have to find a way to deal with this backlog, and if this backlog cannot be dealt with physically, based on resource challenges between now and October 1st, then we will have to come with some kind of legislation to be able to implement. They have a booth here for 50 tickets and over. That clearly shows that the system is broken, and what I'm committing to do is to make sure that October 1st or any other date that will be set is a new day, zero tolerance, and those who are breaching the road traffic laws must be held accountable by the demerit points to deter them and, if necessary, take them off the roads with suspension of licences," Vaz told Observer Online. He was speaking during day two of the Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Days at the National Arena on Thursday. The two-day initiative allows registered motorists to settle outstanding traffic tickets and warrants. According to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Judiciary of Jamaica, more than 43,000 outstanding traffic tickets are expected to be dealt with during the event. The initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) and the Ministry of National Security’s Ticket Management System (TiMS). The judiciary said the programme is part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the backlog of traffic matters before the parish courts while providing motorists with an efficient way to have eligible cases heard and resolved. Tricia Cameron-Anglin, chief executive officer of the Court Administration Division, said she is pleased with the turnout for day one of the initiative. "We were able to take them through the hearings and have them get their sentences handed down and administratively dealt with as well for the day. So we're pleased with the turnout, and we're also pleased with the result," Anglin said. She, however, noted a two-day period would not be enough time to deal with the backlog of traffic tickets currently before the court. "Our backlog for Kingston and St Andrew is over 400,000 tickets, and for the two days that we had set out, we had just over 45,000 registrants for the two days. So as you can see, that's still away from our 400,000. But what it has done for us is allowed those older tickets to come back into the system to be able to be processed because they have been holding up our courts, and over 90 per cent of our backlog, the total backlog for our court, are traffic tickets, and so this will help us significantly to reduce the number of tickets within our court so that we can treat more of the other cases that are before our courts," the CEO added. She urged motorists who may have a challenge in reaching the National Arena before 5:00 pm to still show up. She said the CAD representatives will be working up until 6:30 pm on Thursday. READ: WATCH: Smooth start to Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Days

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A businessman who paid more than $400,000 in outstanding traffic tickets during the Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Day at the National Arena on Wednesday is encouraging other motorists to take advantage of the initiative. Speaking with Observer Online, Oneal Wilson said he had accumulated 92 traffic tickets. However, the presiding judge dismissed 12 of the charges, leaving him to pay for 80 tickets at a total cost of $439,800. "Mi want unu come in and sort out unu self because right now the new Road Traffic Act is a serious business. Mi a free man so mi can drive and nuh fraid to give police mi license and work with the Road Traffic Act and everything and do the right thing. Right now mi free and good to go on the road, so unu take a page out a mi book and come in to the government and free up unu self," Wilson said. READ: WATCH: Smooth start to Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Days The two-day initiative allows registered motorists to settle outstanding traffic tickets and warrants. It will run on Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9, 2026. More than 43,000 outstanding traffic tickets are expected to be dealt with during the event. The initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) and the Ministry of National Security’s Ticket Management System (TiMS). The judiciary said the programme is part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the backlog of traffic matters before the parish courts while providing motorists with an efficient way to have eligible cases heard and resolved.  

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Police say the Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Days have gotten off to a smooth start at the National Arena. The two-day initiative allows registered motorists to settle outstanding traffic tickets and warrants. It runs on Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9, 2026. Assistant Commissioner of Police Michael Phipps, who heads the Area Four Police Division, said operations have been proceeding without any issues. "What we are seeing here today is a smooth flow of the proceedings. We are just at the start of it and everything is going according to plan. No itches, no glitches, no issues anywhere at all. Smooth flowing and we expect it to be like this throughout the course of today and tomorrow as well," Phipps said. READ: Registered motorists encouraged to attend Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Days According to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Judiciary of Jamaica, more than 43,000 outstanding traffic tickets are expected to be dealt with during the event. The initiative is being conducted in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) and the Ministry of National Security's Ticket Management System (TiMS). The judiciary said the programme is part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the backlog of traffic matters before the parish courts while providing motorists with an efficient way to have eligible cases heard and resolved. Director of Client Services, Communications and Information at the Court Administration Division, Kadiesh Jarrett Fletcher, said the judiciary is expecting close to 6,000 motorists over the two days. Officials are reminding motorists who did not register for the event not to visit the National Arena, as walk-ins will not be accommodated. Instead, they are being advised to visit the Traffic Court beginning next week for guidance on clearing their outstanding matters. "As you can appreciate, the court building is not here, so we don't have those court files. And that is why we encourage persons to register for the two days. Now, if persons did not register and wish to clear their records, starting Monday, they can go down to the traffic court and indicate that they have outstanding traffic tickets and the court will further advise them on how to proceed," Fletcher said.

The judiciary is urging all registered motorists to keep their scheduled appointments for the Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Days at the National Arena today and tomorrow, starting at 9 a.m. both days.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The judiciary is urging all registered motorists to keep their scheduled appointments for the Kingston and St Andrew Traffic Ticket Public Days at the National Arena on Wednesday, July 8 and Thursday, July 9, 2026, as final preparations are being completed for the two-day initiative. The Judiciary of Jamaica in a press release on Tuesday, said more than 43,000 outstanding traffic tickets will be before the courts during the two-day event, which is being undertaken by the judiciary in partnership with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) and the Ticket Management System (TiMS), Ministry of National Security. It said the initiative forms part of the judiciary's ongoing commitment to reducing the backlog of traffic tickets before the parish court and to providing an efficient avenue for the hearing and disposal of eligible traffic matters. Director of Client Services, Communications and Information at the Court Administration Division, Kadiesh Jarrett Fletcher, said the judiciary and its partner agencies have worked diligently to ensure the initiative is well coordinated and that all necessary arrangements are in place for the smooth hearing of matters over the two days. "We encourage everyone who has registered to keep their scheduled appointment, arrive at least 30 minutes early and come prepared. The necessary arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the smooth and orderly hearing of matters, and we urge participants to rely only on information shared through the judiciary's official communication channels," she said. Registered participants are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes before their scheduled appointment to allow sufficient time for security screening and registration. Entry to the National Arena will be through Gate E4, where paid parking will be available. Upon arrival, participants should proceed to the information dlesk, where officers will verify their registration and direct them to the appropriate courtroom. Participants are reminded that firearms and other prohibited items will not be permitted inside the National Arena. Licensed firearm holders are advised that the National Stadium Police Station will not accept firearms for safekeeping. Individuals are therefore encouraged to make the necessary arrangements before arriving at the venue, as individuals found in possession of firearms or other prohibited items will not be granted entry. Participants are encouraged to bring a valid driver's licence or other government-issued identification, any documents relevant to their traffic matter, where applicable and sufficient funds to satisfy any fine imposed by the court. The judiciary said payments may be made by cash or debit/credit card. However, participants are reminded that the amount ordered by the court may differ from the amount stated on the original traffic ticket. It noted that only people who completed the registration process during the designated registration period will be accommodated. Court proceedings will commence at 9:00 am on both days.