Hackney carriages allowed to run Papine to Half Way Tree route

Hackney carriages who ply the Papaine to Half-Way-Tree route in St. Andrew, will be allowed to continue operating on that route.

This was decided, during a meeting today (April 12) between taxi groupings the police, and the Transport Ministry.

Today's meeting follows recent operations by the traffic police to remove illegal taxis from some routes owned by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Dr. Morais Guy says today's meeting with the taxi operators was successful.

He says, coming out of the meeting, it has been decided that taxi operators who were authorized by the Transport Authority to operate between Half Way Tree and the University of the West Indies (UWI) will be allowed to continue doing so.

However, this will be on the provision that the operators only carry three passengers and do not pick up and let off anyone along the way.

Additionally, these operators will be allowed to share the Spencer James drive with the buses belonging to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).

Dr. Guy says as it pertains to the Half Way Tree to Mountain View Avenue route, current arrangements where only licensed operators will be able to ply that route, will still be observed.

He says monitoring of that route, in addition to others within the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR), by the police and the Transport Authority will continue.

In the meantime, President of the Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators (JATOO) Edgerton Newman used the opportunity to call for a comprehensive transport policy.

Dr. Guy noted that a transport policy is currently being crafted.

He says the policy issue as well as other matters in today’s meeting will form the basis for future discussions with the transport operators.