Dennie Quill, Contributor

The headline '50,000 unpaid tickets' caught my attention this week because it came at a time when friends of mine were discussing the case of a Jamaican who had been jailed in New York City for unpaid traffic tickets. This over-50 gentleman had lived in America for at least 40 years and acquired property, owned several businesses and from all appearance commanded respect in his community. But this man had chalked up numerous traffic tickets over time and he liked to brag to friends about his expanding collection.

Well, the law finally caught up with him, and what a price he has paid! The court felt he was contemptuous and although monetary fines usually decide traffic offences, the judge decided to make an example of him and sent him to jail. Reckless behaviour has cost this man his freedom and more. Now 40 pounds lighter he has had lots of time to think about his indiscretion.

New York City, like all big cities, has had to find innovative ways of dealing with traffic violators. Many years ago they turned their spotlight on the diplomatic community, which was notorious for not paying parking tickets. The mayor decided to revoke the special licence plates belonging to 30 foreign consultants in order to get the problem under control.

Acquired multiple citations

So, one wonders how many of these elusive motorists in Kingston have acquired multiple citations over time. Perhaps the time has come for the local judiciary to make an example of these offenders by awarding them the maximum penalties, including jail time. It would send an eloquent message to those who pay scant regard to the law and make a mockery of the justice system.

I have paid two speeding tickets so far this year. The thought never entered my head that I should ignore them and hope that they would be forgotten. That is what is expected of a law-abiding citizen: having committed a breach you must pay the penalty. The police believe that the main culprits are persons operating in the transport industry, which I interpret to mean drivers of taxis and buses. If these people operate with such contempt of the system can one expect that their vehicles are properly insured and licensed? Who is there to protect the commuting public from these reckless operators?

The fact that these offenders owe some $400 million to the Government is cause for concern. It is a tidy sum and could go towards beefing up policemen's salary. I have a few suggestions that could help to resolve this situation. First, the authorities should move to block the registration of a motor vehicle if there is an outstanding traffic ticket. The violation would be entered against the vehicle, in this way any person selling a vehicle would be forced to produce a clean bill of health because the new owner could become liable for unpaid fines.

Commission for each warrant

The other idea is to give the police Traffic Department a commission for each warrant that is executed. I predict that the number of 'elusive drivers' would climb down significantly.

Another suggestion is that the police post the names of offenders with unpaid fines on their website or in newspaper advertisements, and in the same style as Kingfish, offer incentives to those who can point to the location of offenders.

Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.