Crackdown looms for busmen, cabbies in Linstead

Rasbert Turner/Gleaner Writer

Changes are set to come on stream in the operations of the Linstead Transportation Centre in St Catherine in a bid to transform the white elephant into a profit-bearing facility.

Built at a cost of $45 million to accommodate 292 vehicles, the transportation centre has failed to address congestion concerns because of non-compliance from operators of public passenger vehicles.

That, however, is set to become a thing of the past, as a concerted effort is now under way to put new energy into an entity that was on life support.

This was revealed by Minister of Transport Robert Montague, who met with busmen and cabbies at the King Street centre on Thursday.

"We have formulated a plan to have Transport Authority Inspectors permanently posted here. They will be working with along a special police team plus members of the St Catherine municipal police to enforce the law," Montague said.

He emphasised that the inspectors' presence will strengthen compliance with the Road Traffic Act.

Montague said that the state regulator would monitor operators' usage of the centre, warning that those records would be considered in the granting of renewals of licences.

The Government aims to more effectively police the Linstead town centre and to reroute some public passenger vehicle operators who use Fletchers Avenue to alternative streets on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

There have been mixed views to Thursday's announcement.

"I do really hope that it come out good for us, as only the taxis from Spanish Town frequent here. The bus dem just park down the road an' pay the backup man dem $250 to load, but inside di park is $100, so you can see it is more than one t'ing a gwaan," Paul Harriott said.

Meanwhile, Byfield Thomas, a resident of Linstead, endorsed the prospective changes and gave additional recommendations.

"While there is a good plan, I believe that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company should expand to Linstead. It would work, especially for students and the elderly," Thomas said of the state-run bus company.

Referencing the traffic chaos in Linstead, a policeman has described many of the operators as undisciplined.

"I must tell you that it doesn't matter how we try to enforce the law, the greed of the drivers gets the better of them. I must tell you also that the $1,000 plus two demerit points for illegal parking needs to be revisited and upgraded to $20,000 and they (the drivers) would comply," the policeman, who requested anonymity because he is not authorised to speak with the media, said.

Norman Scott, mayor of Spanish Town, said that since the park was established in 2016, it has been a burden on the St Catherine Municipal Corporation.

The local government authority will be improving bathroom facilities and increasing the seating capacity at the park.

Seven Transport Authority inspectors will work on location on three shifts: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

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