Murders, COVID, extortion park taxis - More than 16,000 transport licences not yet renewed

With at least 26 taxi operators killed last year even as they battle extortion and the economic crunch caused by the pandemic, one leader in the transport sector is not surprised that roughly 9,000 licences for public passenger vehicles (PPVs) have not been renewed since last March.

Petra-Kene Williams, corporate communications manager for the Transport Authority, told The Gleaner that more than 75,700 road licences were issued for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020. However, since April 1, 2020, only 58,860 have been renewed. This means that there are currently more than 16,000 unrenewed licences, of which 8,900 are PPVs.

Although the new licensing period starts in mid-February, Williams said traditionally fewer people renew their licences in this last quarter.

President of the Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators (JATOO), Louis Barton, acknowledged that a number of its members have stopped working, although he is not sure if this is permanent since they have until the end of March to renew their licences.

Generally, however, he finds that there are more non-renewals each year when compared to the year before.

“Operators, whether they are ‘one year’ or ‘five year’, after a while they get fed up with the system, so it is not surprising,” said Barton.

He said the killing of taxi operators as well as them being targeted by extortionists have also caused some operators to park their vehicles.

Added to that, Barton charged that the police and Transport Authority officials have not made things easy.

“I am not saying that the operators are angels, but there is a pressure put on them by the regulators,” he told The Gleaner.

Extortion rampant

Barton said that there are daily complaints of violence against taxi operators and even in rural Jamaica, he said, extortion is rampant.

The financial challenges caused by COVID-19 have worsened the state of affairs for taxi men, but Barton is waiting until April to do a proper analysis. The transport boss said that although several persons leave each year, commuters are not affected as new operators join the sector.

Allan Blair, president of the National Council of Taxi Associations, has also seen where several persons have surrendered their licence.

He believes COVID-19 has been a contributing factor as some cabbies have been finding it difficult to finance their car loans as incomes fall with fewer persons using their services.

“It is because persons have lost jobs, persons are working from home, and schools are closed,” he said about the reduced passengerload.

Although a fare increase would boost their income, Blair said they would be pressing for that right now.

“Although we need it and we are due, we are not pressuring the Government for a fare increase because the population is already affected. A fare increase is going to put on further burden,” he said.

Barton said his association is exploring ways to improve security for taxi operators with discussions under way with a company to introduce a cashless system.

Taxi operators have also been lobbying for more designated parking spots and they appreciate that the Transport Authority is seeking feedback on a proposal to route all PPVs that travel in and out of Half-Way Tree through the transport centre.

nadine.wilson@gleanerjm.com