Transport operators in St. Catherine parked their vehicles in protest for a traffic ticket amnesty.
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A Portmore taxi operator and Egerton Newman, head of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services
By Kimone Witter
Cabinet is to discuss today the demand by public transport operators for a traffic ticket amnesty as various associations made good on their threat of a national strike.
Transport Minister Audley Shaw told Radio Jamaica News on Monday morning that a statement will be issued following Cabinet's deliberations.
Hundreds of commuters were left stranded Monday morning and a similar situation is expected later today after taxi and bus operators withdrew their service across the island.
The transport operators voted on Sunday to protest after they failed to hear from the government regarding a similar demand made in September.
A Portmore based taxi operator said his colleagues are concerned that they will not meet the current deadline of December 1 to settle outstanding traffic tickets.
"The real complaint by taxi operators is just about being locked up, arrest warrants being sent out immediately after you miss the ticket date or the court date," he complained, adding that operators are also fed up because it appears the police "find everything in the book to give a ticket".
The operator contended, too, that "tickets keep coming back onto the system that they have already paid".
He said the operators want a ticket amnesty as well as a payment plan under the amnesty.
"People are being allowed to take in guns while we just want to pay our money," he said, referencing the government's ongoing gun amnesty.
In response to calls to extend the deadline for the paying of outstanding tickets, the Island Traffic Authority on the weekend said it intends to review the time limit.
In the meantime, Egerton Newman, head of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services, is hopeful that the government's response this time around will be favourable.
With Transport Minister Audley Shaw to discuss the matter with Cabinet, Mr. Newman said he is hoping that "by the end of the day, we will get a good word from the Minister - a word that will allow us to go back to work".
Mr. Newman said about 70 per cent of transport operators are participating in the protest.
Carelessness
In St. Thomas, almost 50 per cent of taxi operators have withdrawn their services.
President of the St. Thomas Taxi Association Louis Millwood is not in support of the protest and issued a statement to his members on Sunday evening encouraging them to go out to work.
He told Radio Jamaica News that the need for a ticket amnesty amounts to carelessness on the part of drivers who have a responsibility to pay their tickets on time.
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