Ministry of Transport Resolves License Plate Shortage After Year-Long Delay

After more than a year, the Ministry of Transport has finally addressed the shortage of license plates and license stickers in the county. The Department of Transport (DOT) issued a notice today, saying that it has successfully procured a new supply of license plates and stickers. The DOT said that as of today all motorists would receive their plates and stickers promptly after making payment. Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle says that the department will be doing its best to deal with the influx of motorists who have been waiting on their plates. 

Leon Gentle, Chief Transport Officer: “First of all the department would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused over the recent months as it relates to license plates and stickers but fully understand how crucial it is for these items to be available. So we went into full operation to procure license plates and stickers which are now available for private vehicles. I took over in December and the process that it takes and what we did is we did an evaluation of what currently exists within the system and we realized that there was a shortage here and there and while that process was in play we also started the biding process as it relates to putting things together and organizing the total amounts that were needed. As it is the production is coming in and we are released a press release to provide us with that information for persons to start coming in. So those who have valid receipts to bring in their stubs for our officers to hand them over license plates and stickers. We’ll do our best. The idea is for us to start that process for persons to come in who have not received their plates or who have not received their stickers for them to come in and get what is due.”

The shortage was a major source of controversy after allegations arose that the contract for procuring the plates and stickers, valued at over two hundred thousand dollars, was given to a relative of Transport Minister Rodwell Ferguson. Ferguson denied those allegations and said that accountability measures were put in place. The DOT’s announcement today fulfilled Ferguson’s promise that the shortage would have been addressed this month. During the shortage, motorists had to rely on their receipts issued by the DOT as proof that their vehicles were licensed as required by law.