Fare increase sparks tension 

Several taxi operators in Spanish Town, St Catherine, say the fare increase announced on Tuesday has created new challenges rather than ease existing pressures.

The Government has granted a 16 per cent increase to public transport operators, with half taking effect on Tuesday and the remaining eight per cent scheduled for July 1, 2026.

Some commuters have reportedly refused to pay the sumn added to existing fares. Operators say the increase has already fuelled tension between drivers and passengers.

“This has become a conflict of interest because of the separation of the fare, I think the intention of the transport minister is to entertain the JUTC (Jamaica Ubran Transit Company) bus service,” said Carvel Wisdom, who operates on the Spanish Town–Old Harbour Road route.

He added: “Taximen and commuters will not stop having conflict over this increase, especially because they used percentage instead of a flat rate increase in dollar amount.”

Wisdom said the increase was of limited relevance.

 “I am not with it and I am not against it, but I know it will cause problems,” he said, citing two incidents yesterday in which commuters who refused to pay the increase allegedly assaulted taxi operators.

Another operator, Noel Lee, who has been driving for 12 years, said the phased increase was having a psychological effect on commuters.

“If the fare increase this month and then next month, it’s going to raise again, it’s a psychological disadvantage to the people, and I don’t think the people are taking it lightly,” Lee told The Gleaner.

He said the fare on the Old Harbour Road route had risen from $150 to $170.

An operator on the Spanish Town–Kitson Town route, who requested anonymity, argued that the increase did not go far enough and was already hurting business.

“This so-called increase has began to affect us in a negative way. Myself and the other taxi men have been out all morning and business has been unusually slow. The commuters are not travelling with us; they are taking the JUTC buses, so it is already having a negative effect,” he said.

Another operator welcomed the adjustment despite concerns about losing passengers.

“Front-end parts are increasing every day, so I have to accept the little that they gave me. It should have been more, but we would lose business because the people would take other transportation,” he said, pointing to the government-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) as the main competitor.

Fares on JUTC buses remain lower than those charged by route taxis.

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