Transport groups denounce protest talks
Published:Monday | June 10, 2024 | 12:08 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
Trouble is brewing in the country’s transport sector following a decision by the Island Traffic Authority to suspend the driver’s licences of some public transport operators who have accumulated 10 demerit points as a result of traffic violations.
The suspension of the licences has not gone down well with several public transport provider groups, which have reportedly threatened to withdraw their services starting as early as this morning and extending into tomorrow and Wednesday, which could result in disruptions to the public transport system in some sections of the island.
The action being contemplated by some transport operator takes place amid plans by Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz to ban the operations of competing ride-share entities over safety concerns in wake of the recent disappearance of primary schoolteacher Danielle Anglin.
A body believed to be that of Anglin was found last week, just under a month after she went missing on May 13 while on her way to school from her Hellshire, St Catherine home. She had reportedly chartered transport through a ride-sharing app.
Yesterday, however, Egerton Newman, president of Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), told The Gleaner that no strike action would be taken as, according to him, a majority of the operators offering commuting service to the public are not in favour of any protest action at this time.
Newman said transport operators have met with Vaz and that the issues around the suspension of the driver’s licences have been discussed and will be addressed following further consultations.
‘No real cause for concern’
“From a TODSS prospective, there will be no strike action tomorrow (Monday). The minister has just sent out a voice note and we are circulating that voice note,” he said.
“The group that wants to have the strike tomorrow (Monday) was just engaged in a press conference and they want to postpone it. From where we sit, 85 per cent of the island public transport operators will be working tomorrow. I don’t see no challenge and I don’t see no problem about any strike. But, in case a few guys want to strike, it won’t affect the movement of people tomorrow. So there is no real cause for concern.
“The four major transport groups in Jamaica have denounced the issue of a strike for tomorrow, so I don’t think there is a problem. TODSS, JATOO (Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operations), NCOTA (National Council of Taxi Associations), and NATO (National Association of Transport Operators) have all denounced the issue of a strike.”
In the meantime, Vaz said he was fully aware of what he referred to as the misinformation and mischief that is circulating among transport groups as it relates to a five-day all island shutdown of the transport sector.
“The matter of demerit points is under review and we are dealing with that. I have been in touch with the transport operators. There has been a statement issued by the ITA (Island Traffic Authority) to indicate that the matters in relation to demerit points are under review by the committee,” the minister said. “There is a meeting scheduled for this week, so any action will be premature and I am calling on good sense to prevail. The matter has come to my attention and I am dealing with it appropriately and it will be part of the review of the Road Traffic Act, which is to be concluded by the end of June.”