Ineffecient checks by Island Traffic Authority

The Editor, Sir:

For some time, the Island Traffic Authority has been inspecting taxis in Mandeville. I think that this period started in February and went on at least until Friday, April 8, 2011.

I am concerned because the line of taxis awaiting inspection is very long and virtually blocks off a significant section of the westward lane along Caledonia Road, which is known for traffic snarls, especially on Fridays. After noting this situation for some time, I decided to get some information from the taxi drivers themselves. So I spoke to a group of taxi men who were waiting to have their vehicles inspected.

This was what I gleaned from them: You could have upwards of 60 taxis waiting in line on any day. Taxis come not just from Manchester, but from Clarendon and St Elizabeth. On Thursday, April 7, the inspector arrived at 11 a.m. and left at 3/3:30 p.m.Apparently, there is a shortage of motor-vehicle inspectors, and this one came from another parish. A taxi operator from Newmarket, St Elizabeth, had to return home without his vehicle being checked. At least one driver left his vehicle overnight in order to have a place at the front of the line. One driver thought he had arrived early (maybe at 7 a.m.), only to find 15 vehicles ahead of him.

This is a great waste of time and money, and a perfect example of lack of productivity. We are going through difficult times. In the same way that Jamaicans appreciate the farmers' markets, I'm sure that the taxi drivers would appreciate some customer service when having their vehicles inspected.What is the sense in having people wait five or six hours for a five-minute inspection. Is this the way the Island Traffic Authority does inspections over the island? I know that this might be the way it has been done for a long time, but this doesn't mean the situation should continue.

Why can't inspections be done throughout the year and operators be given appointments? Remember, a long line which is barely moving is an indication of inefficiency.

I am also calling for the removal of the Inland Revenue office from its present location on South Race Course in Mandeville. That office, the post office, and the Mandeville Comprehensive Clinic are fighting for space.The tax office generates most of the traffic. Parking and traffic are nightmares at certain times of the month.

And, while I'm at it, let me say that if the Government can restore passenger rail service, it would be a coup.I had really been pessimistic about the return of rail travel. Did you see the crowds that came out to greet the test run?

The Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators is talking about the haste with which the Government is bringing out the trains.What haste?The service ceased 19 years ago - something that shouldn't have happened!

Norman W.M. Thompson

Northern Caribbean University

Mandeville, Manchester