Taxi drivers strike over bad roads again
Vow to continue withdrawal if concerns are not addressed
Published:Tuesday | June 20, 2023 | 12:57 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
COMMUTERS WERE left stranded yesterday as taxi operators who ply the Montego Bay to Trelawny route withdrew their services for several hours in protest over poor road conditions, and the drivers are adamant that they will continue demonstrating if those concerns are not swiftly addressed.
From as early as 7 a.m. yesterday morning, several taxi operators parked their vehicles in the vicinity of Westgate Hills and sections of Barnett Street, arguing that they have had to contend with numerous potholes along their routes for the past five years.
Michael Peart, a bus driver who runs along the Montego Bay to Goodwill route, said that the bad roads extend from Westgate Hills to as far as Wakefield, Trelawny.
“The reason why we are on strike today is the road condition, the poor condition of the road from Westgate straight to Wakefield. This morning all the drivers came out, and we did not plan to block any road, we just withdraw our service and park up one side,” Peart told The Gleaner.
“This road stay so more than five years now, and the rain we got the other day made it even worse. If you drive right now to Porto Bello after you pass the gas station, you have the water that come down from out of the bush and wash down across the road and cut out a piece of the road,” Peart explained.
Linton Westley, another bus driver who plies the Adelphi route, said that he and his fellow drivers have to be purchasing parts for their vehicles near-constantly because of the wear and tear they experience from the road conditions.
“We have to be buying parts daily, because they cannot serve us because of the road. It affects us badly, because we cannot make money, plus it takes longer to reach our destination and the parts go out like they are not good,” Westley complained. “We are going to continue this, and it is not going to stop until somebody comes to talk to us.”
The effect of the taxi drivers’ strike had far-reaching consequences for several citizens relying on public transportation, as one woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that her family’s daily routine was ruined as a result of yesterday’s lack of taxis.
“Is beg mi haffi beg a ride on a bike this morning fi come a work. Mi kids dem haffi turn back, dem nuh get fi come a school. One a dem go a St James High and him have exam, so him miss him exam,” the woman explained. “Is beg mi haffi beg a drive from mi babyfather fi carry me up. The road bad, it really bad. The road bad from Wakefield, Dumfries, Westgate, the road bad.”
PROTEST PREMATURE
Poor road conditions across sections of St James have been the cause of multiple demonstrations and withdrawals of taxi operators’ services over the years, to include previous roadblocks which were mounted along the John’s Hall and Spring Mount roadways in July 2021 and along the Montego Bay to Friendship main road in October 2022.
But Mark McGann, the councillor for St James’ Somerton division which includes the affected Adelphi to Dumfries roadway, is arguing that the taximen’s latest protest is premature.
“There is some area for concern, but the thing is that it is a little too early for a protest, based on the bad weather we have been having. Based on my understanding, there are repairs to be done, and I know it was announced in Parliament by Minister Everald Warmington about a new programme they are having, that main roads will be tackled in this coming financial year,” said McGann.
“I know some repairs were done in my area up to last month, and we have been in dialogue with the member of parliament and with the National Works Agency [NWA]. Some of the conditions we are experiencing right now is because of work that has not been completed by NWA, and we have been having rains, but I want the citizens to understand that we are mindful of the conditions that are there and we are working our best to ensure that in a short space of time, we will aid the comfort of their travelling experience through St James East Central,” McGann added.
Meanwhile, St James East Central Member of Parliament Edmund Bartlett acknowledged that the affected roadways, which include roads in his constituency, have been getting constant patching but need more attention.
“The road from Westgate to Wakefield covers about 20 kilometres embracing three constituencies, to include St James West Central, St James Central, and St James East Central. The NWA has been doing patchwork from time to time, but must get a comprehensive realignment of the entire corridor,” said Bartlett. “The corridor from Salt Marsh in Trelawny, through Kent, Goodwill, and Adelphi to Westgate is crucial to the opening of new development in the central areas of the parish.”
When contacted, the NWA’s communication and customer services manager Stephen Shaw said that he was not in a position to give an update on the affected roads, though he was aware of their current poor state.
“I know it is in a bad state, but I really cannot tell you anything beyond that at this point. I would have to get some information to be able to tell you what the situation is,” said Shaw.