3,000 rugged e-ticketing machines to boost JCF’s traffic enforcement capabilities
Vanassa McKenzie / Our Today
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) on Tuesday, December 19, received 3,000 rugged e-ticketing machines to bolster its enforcement capabilities.
Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, who was speaking at the handover ceremony at the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch’s (PSTEB) Elletson Road headquarters, noted that the roll-out of the first batch of e-ticketing machines, which numbered 700, resulted in an exponential increase in the number of traffic tickets issued. The acquisition of the more durable machines are expected to further boost those numbers.
While applauding the increase in traffic tickets issued, Anderson noted that the police would rather see an improvement in the behaviour of motorists on the nation’s streets.
“What we hope to see is that we don’t have any reason to issue that many tickets because traffic tickets are optional to the person who receives them. You have a choice and the best choice is not to do those things that are ticketable. Sometimes you have to exercise a little patience, especially over this period,” he said.
The police commissioner also underscored the issue of road fatalities and urged persons to obey the rules of the road at all times.
Highlighting the issue of speeding, he said: “We don’t like to go to scenes where we have these fatal accidents…mangled cars…destroyed lives…that’s what you are really doing.”
‘And for what?” Anderson questioned, “To get there 15 minutes earlier? It does not make sense,” he concluded.
Anderson said more police personnel have already been deployed and are committed to keeping people safe.
“We will be out there. Our men and women are committed,” he stressed.
Minister of National Security Horace Chang, who was also at the ceremony, outlined that the new machines were labelled ‘rugged’ as they were upgraded to make them operate more efficiently in the Jamaican weather.
The new machines will be managed by the PSTEB, which is currently headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Gary McKenzie.
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