Members of the public will benefit from a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Judicial Department of Fiji.

According to the LTA chairman, Vijay Maharaj, the MOU ‘will significantly clear up the confusion between the issuing of a Traffic Infringement Notice (TIN) and court proceedings’.

Mr Maharaj, and the Chief Registrar of the Judicial department, Yohan Liyanage signed the MOU.

The MOU provides for access by the Judicial department to the LTA database of all TINs issued by the authority.  It also allows the Judicial department to directly upload court decisions into the LTA’s database relating to the TIN.  And it further provides information from LTA to the courts if the TIN has been paid.

“What has been happening is that there are literally hundreds of TINs issued almost daily with dates for people to pay their fines at the LTA.  But most don’t.  So these unpaid TINs are sent to the courts for action although they continue to show as unpaid in the LTA database.

Mr Maharaj said that LTA will now know immediately the status of all TINS in its system and that will ensure prompt attention to any requests or concerns relating to TINs from members of the public.

Initially the MOU process will begin in the Nasinu court, but will eventually expand throughout Fiji.