For many Jamaicans, the announcement that motorists can now use debit and credit cards to pay tolls along the North-South Highway is welcome news. From August 2, 2025, the Jamaica North South Highway Company (JNSHC) rolled out card payment facilities across its six toll plazas, allowing drivers to tap, swipe, or insert Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Discover cards.
It’s a sensible, long-overdue move — but one cannot help but ask: why did it take so long?
A Shameful Delay in the Obvious
In a country pushing toward digital transformation and cashless convenience, it seems almost shameful that toll roads — a critical piece of national infrastructure — only just began accepting card payments in 2025. For years, motorists traveling between Kingston and Ocho Rios had no option but to carry cash, an inconvenience that may have discouraged some from using the highway altogether.
The absence of this simple facility could have influenced driver behavior, limiting the highway’s overall usage…
