The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government plans to overhaul vehicle ownership rules by requiring a Certificate of Title for every imported vehicle, introducing new licence fees and moving the Road Traffic Department toward a fully cashless system.

Transport Minister Leon Lundy said the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will require a title certificate to be issued before any imported vehicle is released from customs control, creating a permanent ownership record from the moment a vehicle enters The Bahamas.

The certificate would also have to be presented whenever a vehicle changes hands, a move Mr Lundy said is intended to tighten a resale market he described as vulnerable to shadow transfers, untaxed sales and uninsured vehicles changing hands without proper oversight.

The reform would be paired with a Motor Vehicle Title Clearance Certificate, which every registered owner would have to obtain before transferring a vehicle to another person.

The proposed changes form part of what Mr Lundy called one of the most ambitious legislative programmes the Road Traffic Department has undertaken in a generation.

The bill would also introduce a revised vehicle licence fee structure. Class A vehicles weighing up to 3,000 pounds would carry a $160 fee. Class B vehicles, weighing between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds, would cost $215. Class C vehicles would cost $610, while Class D vehicles, the heaviest category, would cost $760.

Fully electric vehicles would carry a lower $125 fee.

The proposed fees come as the Road Traffic Department continues to serve as one of the government’s major revenue collectors. Mr Lundy said the department processed more than 130,000 vehicle registrations and more than 100,000 driver’s licences in 2025, collecting more than $50m in government revenue across more than 30 locations.

Mr Lundy also said the department has committed to becoming fully cashless, with the transition being developed in partnership with the Central Bank, the Ministry of Finance, the Public Treasury and advisers.

He said digital payment by debit card, credit card and Sand Dollar would follow. A real-time revenue analytics dashboard would allow the government to monitor collections as they happen.

The move comes after an audit of vehicle licence categories uncovered misclassified vehicles and recovered $112,500 in revenue owed to the government. The department also audited taxi and livery plates, recalled inactive plates and reissued them to drivers.

Mr Lundy said a new Transport Management System, being developed by Canadian Bank Note and project-managed by Deloitte, is targeted for launch by December.

Once completed, he said, Bahamians will be able to renew vehicle registrations and licences remotely.

“Not a future aspiration — a commitment with a deadline,” Mr Lundy said.

He said Road Traffic services are also being expanded in the Family Islands through an automation initiative covering Inagua, Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island, the Berry Islands and Cat Island. Three locations are already operating, while the others await staff placements, he said.