Haile A. Clacken, Gleaner Writer
Errol Greene (right), chief executive officer, Kingston City Centre Improvement Company (KCCIC), discusses plans for the Transportation Centre to be developed in downtown Kingston with, from left: Norman Shand, city engineer, Kingston & St. Andrew Corporation; Deputy Superintendent of Police, Byron Powell; Patrick McIntosh, president, Jamaica Urban Transit Company Ltd., and Mayor Desmond Brown, transport consultant. The KCCIC met with transport interest groups recently at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. - CONTRIBUTED
BUS OPERATORS in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, have expressed dissatisfaction with the new transportation centre that opened on Monday in the parish capital.
The operators, who claim that they are losing money because of the new centre, insist that the concept should be taken back to the drawing board as only chaos and congestion have resulted from the "grossly disorganised scheme".
The new system dictates that all buses are put in parallel parking positions and commuters then choose the vehicle they wish to travel in.
"The whole place block up? who come first nuh have nutten fi do wid it? you can deh deh from five o' clock inna di morning and nuh lef out until 12:00," explained an irate bus operator, Calvin Cunningham.
The bus operators have deduced that the park is far too small and all the buses and taxis cannot fit into it. The log book system being used for record-keeping is said to be time-consuming and the bus operators are requesting a conventional ticketing system.
Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar Delford Morgan concedes that there are some problems associated with the centre, but believes it will benefit all commuters in the long run.
"This new facility will radically alter how the public will travel out of Sav-la-mar. There is a cost but we hold firm to the view of an efficient transportation centre that will ensure the further development of Sav-la-mar, its commercial activities and its people," said Mayor Morgan.
However, he was quick to add that corrective action will be taken to address problems associated with the facility.
"One needs to bear in mind that the centre is opened for less than 48 hours, we (the parish council) have taken steps to deal with the glitches and we will be taking the necessary steps to deal with these," Morgan said.
But some bus operators, like Derrick Walker, believe that the loss to the industry with the implementation of the new system will soon outweigh the gains.
The taximen are also adamant that Monday's opening day served to show that the centre's drainage is inadequate and that flood-related problems are imminent.
"A boat we haffi use inna dat man. We wash out yesterday (Monday)... no form a drain system nuh in deh. (The transportation centre) is a good idea but it no ready for us yet," said bus operator Jason "Talaban" Clarke.
But Mayor Morgan insists that eventually, all will be well.
"We are in dialogue with the police, transportation authorities and two taxi associations to examine our operations. " he told The Gleaner.
