Declare war on unruly taxi drivers – Shields

Security specialist Mark Shields is calling for a war on unruly taxi operators who are making the streets of Jamaica a nightmare for decent motorists, members of the commuting public and pedestrians.

Days after taxi operators staged protests in several sections of the island over the proposed new Road Traffic Act, Shields used a Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica President’s Breakfast and Forum on Crime in New Kingston this morning to endorse the legislation and urge greater enforcement of road rules for rogue taxi drivers.

“It should be not just the police responsibility because we always take that short-sighted view ... but there is a Transport Authority, there are groups which represent the taxi drivers and they came out last week against the amended Road Traffic Act, which is a good thing and is designed to bring us into line,” said Shields.

"There is no reason at all why the Transport Authority, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the local authorities and those who represent taxi drivers, cannot get together and clean-up the system overnight and make it safe for us,” added Shields.

He argued that while motorists face risks from the unruly taxis drivers, the persons who depend on these vehicles as their means of public transport face even greater risks.

“Those are the people who cram into the taxis and we have a duty to make it safer for them,” added Shields.

The former British cop, who also served in the JCF as a deputy commissioner, argued that the unruly taxi drivers operate with their windows heavily tinted, run red lights, cut into lanes from the outside, and breach other rules of the roads daily.

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