By Halshane Burke
Amid mounting calls from transport operators, Cabinet is expected to sign off on the way forward for the thousands of outstanding traffic tickets owed by operators of public passenger vehicles (PPVs).
This was disclosed on Thursday by Transport Minister Audley Shaw at a meeting with the transport operators.
PPV operators have been calling for a payment plan to allow them to clear millions of dollars in outstanding traffic tickets.
The operators recently staged two days of protest to press the government on a solution.
Mr. Shaw said he will take a proposal to Cabinet on Monday for sign off on the final strategy in relation to the outstanding tickets.
The Transport Minister said the formula that will be arrived at will maintain the viability of the sector and avoid any possible collapse.
The minister explained that the issue is not just about money but "the safety of our people".
"This must be a time for us to clean up the operations and so, I want to let you know that that is what I’m putting forward and I need your cooperation to support a time period to pay – whether that is done out of court or through the courts," he told the operators.
He said the solution will give those with outstanding tickets time to settle them without losing their licence.
Certification
At the same time, operators of public passenger vehicles will soon be required to undergo a process of certification to be able to ply their trade.
Minister Shaw said it is important that all owners and drivers of public passenger vehicles are certified.
"We have to work together the make sure that everybody who is driving on the road in a public passenger vehicle develops respect for the work that they do and respect for the passengers that they are conveying. That is something that I am going to formally put on the table, and yes, it will take some time, maybe a year or two for everybody to get certified," he declared.