Works Minister says Jamaican Road Register to improve accountability coming soon

Jamaicans will soon be able to search for roads, identify ownership and classification, and report road defects through a new digital road register.

Works Minister, Robert Morgan, made the announcement in Parliament yesterday.

According to the Minister, the digital road register will bring unprecedented transparency and accountability to the management of the country’s road network.

He also noted that it will be a cornerstone of the Government’s broader road-sector reform programme and the establishment of the One Road Authority.

Mr. Morgan said that the online platform, which is being developed by the Jamaica Information Service and the National Spatial Data Management Branch, is already substantially advanced and will provide an interactive map-based interface through which members of the public can search for roads, locate infrastructure assets and submit reports on road-related issues anywhere across the island.

He also noted that the system is being designed with built-in validation tools, including image and location verification, ensuring that reports are evidence-based, accurately geo-referenced and capable of supporting more effective decision-making.

According to Minister Morgan, the Road Register will provide a comprehensive inventory of Jamaica’s road network and support road classification, planning, prioritisation, reporting and performance monitoring.

He said it will also support the implementation of published criteria for road designation and classification, helping to determine which roads serve critical national functions such as connecting ports, airports, tourism centres, industrial zones, hospitals and emergency services.

He said that the initiative forms part of the Government’s effort to modernise road management, strengthen accountability and improve the allocation of resources across Jamaica’s approximately 27,000-kilometre road network.