Transport Authority 'parks' illegal cabs in Montego Bay
Published:Friday | September 24, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Barrington Flemming, Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Transport Authority yanked 153 illegal taxis off the streets of Montego Bay, St James, and collected $1 million in court fines during the month of August.
Ralston Smith, western regional manager of the Transport Authority, says illegal transport operators have felt the brunt of the agency's campaign to clamp down on breaches of the Road Traffic Act.
Smith told The Gleaner that in addition to the confiscation of the vehicles, several drivers were also prosecuted.
"Operating without the requisite road licence and insurance; failure to wear the prescribed uniform; operating contrary to the road licence; and operating without destination markings on the vehicle are but some of the offences which were committed and attracted a fine," Smith said.
The fines range from $2,000 to $5,000 for not wearing badges or uniforms. Infractions of not having a road licence carry fines of $15,000 and more.
Smith said there was a major campaign to ensure that commuters are exposed to legal taxi operators - as in the event of motor-vehicle accidents, commuters oftentimes have no benefits to receive from insurance companies when they are passengers in 'robot' taxis.
Winning the war
He noted that the Transport Authority seems to be winning the war against loud and lewd music in public-passenger vehicles, with a significant level of compliance from motor-vehicle operators.
"This has been the result of some concerted effort on our part to attack that. In some instances, we remove musical equipment from the vehicles and prosecute the drivers. There is also a reduction in tints; we have managed to get that down and there are hardly any public vehicles with tints."
The Transport Authority's general manager, Cecil Morgan, said his agency continues to face a challenge from transport operators who use gas stations and the busy thoroughfare of St James Street in Montego Bay to pick up and let off passengers.
"I would like to see the legislation changed to allow for illegal taxi operators to stay off the streets for longer periods when prosecuted. We are facing a problem where there are not enough officers to patrol the streets as we would like," Morgan stated.
"We would want to have more officers so we could place them for a longer period at strategic points across the city of Montego Bay."
Morgan indicated that the general motive of the Transport Authority was not to seize vehicles, but to have operators comply with the law.
"It costs $12,500 to get a road licence within a two to three-week period, so no one should have to operate illegally."